Bronze Ecotrophelia prize awarded to NTU students

Three students who study BSc (Hons) Food Science and Technology at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) have been awarded bronze at the annual Ecotrophelia Food Innovation Student Awards.

Finalist groups from a number of UK Universities pitched their products to a board of judges on 7 June at the 10-year anniversary of the UK heats of the ‘Dragons-Den’-style competition, organised by Campden BRI in conjunction with the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST).

This year’s competition also included large household brand name sponsors, including: PepsiCo, Mondelez, Sainsbury’s, Coca-Cola, Food Matters Careers, M&S, Unilever, Food Manufacture, Tesco, Nestlé, and Warburtons.

Ecotrophelia UK's 10-year anniversary 2022 Food Innovation Student Awards

Ecotrophelia is a Europe-wide competition that challenges teams of students to develop an innovative, eco-friendly food and drink product which they then pitch to industry leaders.

The competition aims to give students hands-on New Product Development experience, by taking projects from the idea generation stage through to the final packaged product, providing participating teams with the knowledge and skills required to bring an eco-friendly food or drink product to market, with many former winners going on to now work in research and development roles at large Food and Beverage names.

Chris Gilbert-Wood, Chair of IFST’s Scientific Committee, and judge on the Ecotrophelia panel, commented: “Product Reviews where a multidisciplined team presents plans for a new product to a panel are part of most Food Professionals working life, certainly have been for me.

“Ecotrophelia is an excellent opportunity for young future professionals to enjoy a real pitch experience. The professionalism and enthusiasm the teams have shown us today make me look forward with confidence to see how they tackle the challenges and exploit the opportunities the food system faces now and in the future.”

Granola Infusions, Avena Grains' product entry in the Ecotrophelia 2022 Awards

The group representing NTU – Avena Grains – comprised Thomas Hall, Jade Murby and Connor Smith, who pitched their product idea: Granola Infusions, an instant breakfast consisting of crispy oat clusters, freeze-dried berries and a superberry dusting.

Stored ambient as a dried-product, Granola Infusions aims to reduce wate within the supply chain by using a dried oat pulp to create the superberry dusting, as well as reducing storage energy.

As well as being eco-friendly in terms of product waste and storage energy, the product is vegan and completely plant-based, only requiring water or any preferred milk or plant milk to infuse it, ready to consume.

Watch Avena Grains speak about their Granola Infusions product here.

Gold-prize winners were The Green Feathers team, from the University of Nottingham, with their product ‘Cracker(ed) it Crackers’, an innovative idea which aims to get creative with cracker flavours while using 38% fruit pomace leftover from fruit vinegar production and using plant-based ‘plastic’ packaging

Fortifibre team from Manchester Metropolitan University placed second, receiving the silver prize, presenting their produce ‘FiBAR’, an allergen-free, vegan, high-fibre cereal bar which contains agri-fruit by-products that typically decay and contribute to greenhouse gases.

Student contestants and judges at the 2022 Ecotrophelia UK Awards

All teams who placed received an Ecotrophelia UK certificate and a one-year IFST membership per team member, with The Green Feathers team each taking home a share of £2000; Fortifibre winning a share of £1000 each; and NTU’s Avena Grains taking home a share of £500.

Bertrand Emond, Membership Ambassador, Professional Development and Culture Excellence Lead at Campden BRI said, "We are delighted that we are continuing to attract and inspire the best food science and technology students to take part in Ecotrophelia.

“It’s a fantastic way for them to get exposure to some of the industry’s biggest players and potential future employers. Around 500 students from 22 different universities across the UK have now taken part since 2013 and we are very grateful for the continued support that the competition receives from the industry sponsors.

“Innovation and creativity are essential for the continued success of the food industry and Ecotrophelia helps to achieve this.”

Read more about the Ecotrophelia 2022 Food Innovation Student Awards here.