At the conclusion of the annual IFT FIRST trade show and event on July 17, the Institute of Food Technologists announced the winners of its IFT Student Assn. Product Development and Research Competitions. Each year, college students are challenged to develop products in a handful of categories. This year’s winners:
American Egg Board Eggcelerator Lab Product Development Competition
The students were tasked with developing a novel snack product that is a good source of protein and whose protein content consists mainly of eggs. The winners were Sanket Prakash Vanare and Mackenzie Bui from the University of Georgia in Athens for Eggspresso, a dried powder that turns into a protein-rich iced coffee drink when added to ice water.
IFTSA and Mars Product Development Competition
SOL-Spice of Life, a milk-based wellness drink with vanilla chai flavor that is stable at extremely high temperatures, was developed by the team at Chapman University. The ultra-filtered milk-based wellness shot offers versatile consumption options and is also suitable for those with lactose intolerance. The product also contains cognitive function ingredients such as L-theanine to provide alertness and mental clarity in addition to the benefits of caffeine.
Competition “Developing solutions for developing countries”
A team from the University of Costa Rica won with HopEnergy, an instant powdered drink developed for migrants traveling through Costa Rica. Made from panela, milk, grains and seeds, it is high in protein and calcium and is a source of iron, vitamin A and fiber.
Product development competition “Smart Snacks for Kids”
Challenged to develop a fun and nutritious food or drink for children and/or teens – that also meets the recommendations of the USDA Guide to Smart Snacks in Schools – the team from McGill University won with Magic Mud Pot, a health-conscious and appealing alternative to traditional chocolate pudding. It is a gluten- and nut-free pot of chocolate black bean pudding with a lid divided into two compartments – one containing vegetable-shaped gummies and the other chocolate quinoa crumbles. McGill University also won this product development competition last year for Hungry Monsters.
Campden BRI Graduate Video Research Competition
Ivannova Lituma from Louisiana State University won for her research on “Effect of UV-C light treatment against Listeria monocytogenes on hydroponically grown lettuce and its impact on quality.”
Phi Tau Sigma Student Research Competition
This category presents outstanding research work at the undergraduate level. Stefhanie Loaiza-Sanchez from the University of Costa Rica was awarded for “Prevalence and inactivation of Salmonella in microwaveable frozen ready-to-eat and non-ready-to-eat chicken products”.
The College Bowl
The University of Wisconsin-Madison defeated California State Polytechnic University-Pomona in the finals, demonstrating their overall knowledge in food science and technology, the history of food and food processing, food law, and general IFT and food-related knowledge.
Excellence in leadership
The Excellence in Leadership Award is presented to two student members of IFT, one undergraduate and one graduate, who have demonstrated exemplary leadership qualities in conducting student activities that further the mission of IFT. The master’s winner was Cyprian Syeunda of Texas A&M University, and the bachelor’s winner was Sebastián Andrés Garzón García of Universidad San Francisco de Quito.
Chapter of the year
The winning chapter this year was Iowa State University.
