SL the judges are not associated with any major hot product manufacturers. 100% impartial experts. The process depends on the category. We judge everything from hot sauce to BBQ sauce and rubs, so some is spoon tested, some is chip tested, some is cooked up, some is poured on food, etc. We try to be as fair to the product as possible. Each category has its own requirements for judging, and all products in that category are judged the same way. The process can change yearly as products change as we always try to be fair to the product. It is a long process that involves doing the product justice and scoring.
Hope this helps.