The Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) is delighted to announce the seven UK finalists of the 12th edition of the Ecotrophelia UK Competition.
The Ecotrophelia Competition challenges students around Europe to develop a sustainable and innovative food product from concept to market. It promotes environmentally and socially sustainable design, with the aim of inspiring future generations of entrepreneurs to create innovative products. The seven nominees are entered into the UK final, where they will be judged by industry leaders, with the eventual UK winner being entered into the European competition. Each finalist team will have the opportunity to pitch their products to top names from the food and drink industry.
Each year, the winning team receives a cash prize of £2,000, a year’s free IFST membership, and expert mentorship from the “dragons” who judge the competition, to aid in their preparations for the European final. The “dragons” are senior food experts from across the industry, from companies including Sainsbury’s, Nestlé, Coca Cola, Unilever, Mondelez, Warburtons, Ella’s Kitchen, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Food Manufacture, IFST and Campden BRI.
This year’s finalists are:
- BoozyBalls – University of Surrey
- Fidelites – Manchester Metropolitan University
- NoDoh – Queens University Belfast
- Notti Bites – University Nottingham
- Marble – Nottingham Trent University
- Missing M¿lk – University of Reading
- Tastry – University of Reading
The 2024 UK final will take place at the Nestlé Product Technology Centre in York on 5 June 2024. Now in its 12th year, the competition was launched in the UK in 2013 to foster competition and innovation in R&D and sustainability in the food sector. It continues to develop the next generation of food industry leaders and acts as an incubator for business ideas. Over the last 12 years, Ecotrophelia UK has received over 120 entries involving over 500 students from 24 different universities across the UK.
Chris Gilbert Wood, acting Chief Executive of IFST commented, “The Ecotrophelia competition is always one of the highlights of the IFST year, and we are thrilled once again with the range of entries from across the UK. Food and drink businesses are one of the most consistent innovators in the UK economy; this competition helps to encourage new generations of entrepreneurs into rewarding careers in the food system. We are looking forward to seeing the seven pitches in June and wish the teams the best of luck for the UK final.”
Bertrand Emond, Membership Ambassador at Campden BRI, added: “The food industry faces fundamental challenges including reducing our environmental impact, meeting growing global demand for food, producing more from less as pressure increases on resources, and reformulating and creating new products to meet diet and health requirements. Using science and innovation effectively will be critical to survival and competitive advantage. We must support efforts to unlock, nurture and drive innovation in the industry that helps us to meet these challenges. Ecotrophelia is a fantastic platform and source of innovation and inspiration for the industry capitalising on the creativity and energy of our brightest and most enterprising food students supported by the best academic institutions.”
The UK heat of this Europe-wide competition is organised by UK food and drink research organisation Campden BRI, in conjunction with the Institute of Food Science & Technology, the independent qualifying body for food professionals in Europe.
For more information on the Ecotrophelia competition and to stay up to date with the progress of the seven finalists, please visit https://www.ifst.org/ecotrophelia and https://eu.ecotrophelia.org/en/about-us.
1. IFST contact: Robert Edge-Partington, r.edgepartington@ifst.org
2. Campden BRI contact: Bertrand Emond, bertrand.emond@campdenbri.co.uk