IFTSA & Mars Product Development Competition Returns for 33rd Year

Student product developers from six universities will vie for top honors in the final rounds of the annual IFTSA & Mars Product Development Competition at IFT FIRST. Now in its 33rd year, this prestigious competition requires student teams to develop a new food product and take it from concept stage through production and marketing, in the same way that a commercial product development team would. The six finalist teams will present their product on Monday, July 17, from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. in room S501 of the convention center.

Here are the finalists for the 2023 competition:

Baolite, University of California, Davis: Baolite is a colorful, sustainable, high fiber, high protein, zero added sugar, zero trans fat, gluten free, low calorie vegan dumpling product formulated using spent grain and sustainable chickpea flour.

Rebel Bites, University of Florida: Rebel Bites serve to deliver a rich, indulgent experience while providing beneficial plant-based protein and fiber in a gluten-free chocolate cake bite filled with vanilla cream filling, leaving consumers with a product they can feel good about.

Churroats, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign: Churroats is the first upcycled, free from the top-9 U.S. allergens, gluten-free vegan snack that represents a fusion between unique Asian flavors and original Spanish-origin churros.

CafeNana, Cornell University: CaféNana is an upcycled, innovative caffeinated coffee-banana sandwich bites consisting of two chewy banana leather pieces and a creamy sunflower butter coffee filling.

CocoPro, University of Georgia: CocoPro is a high-protein coconut smoothie with pina colada flavor that packs 10 grams of plant-based protein in an 8-ounce serving, with no added sugar.

Veggie-Go (Chik’n Cheese), Michigan State University: Chik ‘n Cheese is made of whole grain noodles smothered in a cheesy sauce, all topped with a plant-based shredded chik'n, packing a nutritional punch.

Winners of the competition will be announced at the IFTSA Closing Ceremony on Tuesday evening, July 18, in the S100 Ballroom of the convention center. Each of the finalist teams will receive a certificate and a reimbursement for travel to IFT FIRST 2023 of up to $1,500. Prizes include $3,000 for first place, $1,500 for second place, and $500 for the third-place team. The competition is sponsored by Mars Wrigley Confectionery.