McGill Food Science students selected as Institute of Food Technologists finalists
Three teams of McGill Food Science students (food product development class-U3) have been selected as finalists in three different Institute of Food Technologists Student Association (IFTSA) competitions. They will attend the annual IFT FIRST event and expo taking place on July 14-17 in Chicago, the world’s largest gathering of food science professionals, where they will compete with the other teams for cash prizes.
This year, McGill teams will be competing in the IFTSA & Mars Product Development Competition, the Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Product Development Competition, and the IFTSA Smart Snacks for Kids Product Development Competition.
Introducing Quinocchis
Finalists in the IFTSA & Mars Product Development Competition, Marie Prémont St-Jean, Omid Sadeghpour Marvi, Nicole Yateke, Diana Rodriguez-Hernandez and Veronica Jaramillo have created Quinocchis, a unique plant-based product that brings a delightful experience to your plate. Inside each bite of Quinocchis, a creamy plant-based ricotta-like filling enhances your taste experience. Quinocchis offer consumers the choice between a savoury or sweet meal.
Introducing Bonapia
Finalists in the Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Product Development Competition, Aretha Gani, Cindy Nguyen, Zijing Yu Xiyuan Shang, Wenhua Lian and Jinyu Zhou have invented Bonapia, which combines tilapia, sweet potato, and black bean to produce an all-purpose paste that can be used by the snack industry to manufacture crispy chips or diluted by households for the preparation of stew. It could also be used by households to make Kasav, Haitian cassava bread, after combining it with grated cassava. It is specifically formulated to tackle malnutrition in Haiti by ameliorating deficiencies in vitamin A, folic acid, iodine, zinc, and iron, while reducing reliance on imports to feed their population.
Introducing Magic Mud Pots
Finalists in the IFTSA Smart Snacks for Kids Product Development Competition, Emily Legault, Chanie Corbeil-Stroombergen, Marguerite Drolet, and Siqi Li have developed Magic Mud Pots, a delightful, health-conscious, and engaging alternative to traditional chocolate pudding. Designed to captivate children and satisfy the requirements of parents and schools alike, these gluten-free and nut-free treats offer a unique three-part experience; a decadent cup of chocolate black bean pudding crowned with a lid split into two compartments: one containing vegetable-shaped gummies, the other chocolate quinoa crumble. Kids channel their inner farmer as they "till the soil" or playfully mix the pudding with the crumble and use the vegetable-shaped gummies to "plant and harvest" their own "vegetables" before eating them. Magic Mud Pots provide an excellent hands-on opportunity to educate youth on common agricultural practices.
Last year, McGill students Cassandra Popovich, Valerie Leclerc, and Jiachen Wei claimed top honors in the IFTSA Smart Snacks for Kids Competition for their team's Hungry Monster chocolate-flavored tart that kids can build by themselves by filling the tarts and decorating them into hungry monsters using fun decorations.
Congratulations and good luck to all of our remarkable competitors!