The Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) is proud to announce the 7 UK finalists of the 11th edition of the Ecotrophelia UK Competition. The finalists represent some of the most innovative and sustainable food product ideas developed by students from universities across the country. Competition was fierce, and IFST and Campden BRI would like to thank all the teams who put so much effort into one of the most competitive years of Ecotrophelia to date.
The Ecotrophelia Competition challenges students to develop a sustainable and innovative food product from concept to market. It promotes eco-design and sustainability, with the aim of inspiring future food entrepreneurs to create products that are environmentally friendly and socially responsible. The finalists are entered into the UK final, where they will be judged by industry leaders, with the UK winner being entered into the European competition.
The winning team will receive a prize of £2000 cash, a year’s free IFST membership, and expert mentorship from some of the “dragons” who judge the competition, so that they can be well-prepared for the European final. This excellent prize always draws candidates of the highest quality, with competitors and winners from previous years often offering support to Ecotrophelia hopefuls.
The ‘dragons’ are senior food experts from across the industry including PepsiCo, Sainsbury’s, Nestlé, Quorn, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Mondelez, Unilever, Warburtons, Marks & Spencer, Food Manufacture, Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and Campden BRI.
This year's finalists are:
EcoBites (Manchester Metropolitan University)
Eco-Co (Nottingham Trent University)
Hey Pesto! (University of Nottingham)
PlanEat (University of Nottingham)
Inudle (University of Reading)
Nourish Nibbles (University of Reading)
Team Avocaduo (University of Surrey)
IFST congratulates all the above finalists for their hard work and dedication to creating such an exciting and dynamic range of food products. The finalists will have the opportunity to showcase their products to a panel of industry experts at the Ecotrophelia UK final, which will take place on 7 June at the Sainsbury’s UK Headquarters in Holborn, Central London. The European final will be held in October 2023 at Anuga in Cologne, Germany.
IFST Chief Executive, Tim McLachlan, said: "We are thrilled to see such an impressive range of entries from universities across the United Kingdom. The Ecotrophelia competition is one of the highlights of our year and presents a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their creativity, innovation, and sustainability credentials. Every year, we continue to be more and more impressed by the creativity and drive of the competing teams. We look forward to seeing the finalists' pitches in June and wish them the best of luck in the competition."
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.
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Notes to Editors:
1. Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST) is the UK’s leading professional body for those involved in all aspects of food science and technology. We are an internationally respected independent membership body, supporting food professionals through knowledge sharing and professional recognition.
The Institute’s core aim is the advancement of food science and technology based on impartial science and knowledge sharing.
Our membership comprises individuals from a range of backgrounds, from students to experts, working across a wide range of disciplines within the sector.
Campden BRI (www.campdenbri.co.uk) has over 3,000 member companies from 85 countries, including all of the top 10 UK retailers, the top 15 global food and drink manufacturers and many of the world’s biggest brands. It provides technical, legislative and scientific support and research to the food and drinks industry worldwide – with a comprehensive “farm to fork” range of services covering agri-food production, analysis and testing, processing and manufacturing, food safety, training and technical information services. Members and clients benefit from industry-leading facilities for analysis, product and process development, and sensory and consumer studies, which include a specialist brewing and wine division.
2. IFST contact: Robert Edge-Partington, r.edgepartington@ifst.org
3. Campden BRI contact: Bertrand Emond, bertrand.emond@campdenbri.co.uk