Thursday, 11 June 2020
Food science students from the University of Nottingham have scooped prizes in a national competition for food innovation, with sweet desserts made from bread waste and coconut waffle snacks.
The ‘Re-dessert’ team won first place at Ecotrophelia UK with their Delights dessert range. Based on the authentic traditional Indian dessert ‘Gulab Jamun’, the team exchanged flour for bread that has exceeded its best before date and used it to create tasty, fried dough balls. They then created their own range of flavoured syrups to add to the recipe for a unique twist.
Another Nottingham team was also recognised for their outstanding product and were placed third. The CocoWaffle snack was created by a multinational team of students who called themselves ‘Eco-Dive’. They wanted to tackle the issue of biowaste created by the Coconut industry so created a tasty coconut based, gluten-free snack.
Ecotrophelia UK is a ‘Dragons Den’ style competition that challenges teams of UK students to develop an innovative, eco-friendly food and drink product. From idea generation through to the final packaged product, the teams get a hands-on experience of what it takes to bring an eco-friendly food or drink product to market.
Alongside producing the actual product, the team had to devise a business and marketing plan and design the packaging. With support from the University's Food Science academics, Food Innovation Centre and UoN Research and Innovation teams they were able to create their winning proposition.
The teams pitched their ideas to judges from top names in the food and drink industry including Marks and Spencer, Coca-Cola, Unilever, PepsiCo, Mondelez, Nestle, Warburtons, Tesco, Food Manufacture, Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and Campden BRI.
The winning Re-Dessert team
The Re-dessert team worked with Nottingham’s social supermarket Foodprint on their project using their surplus bread. Jennifer Rutherford, a food science student at the University of Nottingham and member of the Re-dessert team, said, “We have gained so much from our participation in the Ecotrophelia competition. Being able to develop a new and innovative product and have it reviewed by top industry professionals, is a fantastic opportunity for students hoping to embark on a career in the food industry. Our team gained invaluable knowledge which will make us more environmentally aware and highlights the role that we in the food industry must play in ensuring sustainability and reducing waste. We were thrilled to take 1st place and are looking forward to representing the UK in the European finals later this year!’
The CocoWaffle team who achieved third place
Jared Spencer led team Eco-Dive and said: “The Ecotrophelia competition was a great experience for an aspiring food scientist about to enter the industry. The competition placed a spotlight on the role the food industry plays, not just from an economic perceptive, but from an environmental and social perspective. We hope to use the knowledge and insights gained from competing in Ecotrophelia and apply them to our future roles within the food manufacturing sector.”
Each member of the gold-winning team took home a share of £2,000 and an invitation to become an IFST Young Ambassador.
The University of Nottingham team will go on to compete against 19 other national teams from across Europe for the chance to win up to €4,000 at the Ecotrophelia 2020 European final, which will be held in October.
I’m incredibly proud to have two teams from Nottingham in the UK finals and receiving prizes for the excellent products they have created. This competition is a fantastic way for our final year food science students to build on what they have learned at Nottingham to get a taste of product development for the real-world with input and support from industry experts. This year they had the added challenge of working in the midst of a global pandemic and had to quickly change the way they worked and be flexible in their approach to presenting, they all rose to this and I am in no doubt this whole experience will be of huge benefit to their future careers in the global food industry.
The UK heat of this Europe-wide competition was organised by UK food and drink research organisation, Campden BRI, in conjunction with Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST), the independent qualifying body for food professionals in Europe.
www.ecotrophelia-uk.org and www.eu.ecotrophelia.org
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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