Two food science student teams—one international, one domestic—were named winners of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Student Association Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Competition during the IFT 2014 Annual Meeting & Food Expo in June 2014 in Los Angeles, US.
The competition, sponsored by Partners in Food Solutions (PFS) through its corporate partners – General Mills, Cargill, DSM, and Buhler – is designed to promote the application of food science and technology and the development of new products and processes that are targeted at improving the quality of life for people in developing countries.
One of the winners is Bogor Agricultural University with FLOYA Instant Porridge—a nutritious food packed with easily absorbed protein to combat protein malnutrition in Africa.
Meanwhile, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Amma Mama created a sustainable sweet potato-based, harvest flavored, high in protein and other nutrients tortilla that acts as a dietary staple and supplement for maternal and pregnant women in Chad, Africa.
Food security and malnutrition are challenges around the world, but even more so in developing countries, says IFT.
The competition, funded by Partners in Food Solutions (PFS) through a donation to Feeding Tomorrow, the Foundation of the Institute of Food Technologists, is designed for students to leverage food science to develop innovative products and processes to meet specific food, health and nutrition challenges in developing countries.
Now in its sixth year, the annual competition is open to graduate and undergraduate food science students around the world.
This year, students were challenged to use low-value oil processing by-products in commercial products for human consumption.
Under this challenge, low-value by-products typically sold at a reduced price to the animal feed industry are re-imagined and repurposed in higher-value products designed to meet food and nutrition needs.
