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Protein Division

Proteins of the Future Challenge

The objective of this competition is to bring students closer to the advances and challenges of protein innovation.

By participating in this competition, you’ll tackle real‑world food challenges, apply what you’ve learned in the classroom, build teamwork and presentation skills, deepen your knowledge of food proteins, and gain visibility within the food science community.

Learn about the Protein Division

Challenge Details

Download the Rules & Guidelines

A panel of experts in food proteins including academic and industry experts from the IFT Protein Division and international protein experts will judge the entries.

The submissions will be evaluated based on:
1. Concept relevance (using the concepts of few advancements in food safety, their adoption, creativity, and background information) – 40%
2. Content Knowledge (Understanding science, interpretation of results, validity of conclusion) – 40%
3. Presentation Layout (Organization, visual appeal) – 20%
Submitters are encouraged to keep the following points in mind:
- Language should be easy to understand
- Creative use of graphics
- Focus on using relevant, up-to-date information
- The message should be clear and easy to understand
- Specific companies or brands should not be referenced, especially in a defamatory way
- Be mindful about copyright
Entry Form
Students will select one the five topics listed below. The students will then choose a specific protein/product example for the essay.
- Topic 1: Environmental impact: Consumers are shifting protein consumption from traditional proteins to alternative proteins, therefore alternative proteins are being used more and more to develop new foods made from more suitable sources. What is the environmental impact of that shift (including increased production)? Calculate/estimate the environmental impact of a specific product or product category made with an alternative protein(s) replacing a specific product or product category made with a traditional protein(s).
- Topic 2: Scale up: Many alternative proteins show promising potential to replace traditional proteins in lab research. To use them as food ingredients, they will need to be extracted and commercialized in much larger volumes. How can lab-based protein extraction scale up to industrial capacities? Use a specific alternative protein and directly compare to current extraction methods of a traditional protein.
- Topic 3: Functionality: Reaching certain textures or other sensorial attributes (like flavor) using alternative proteins is a challenge when developing new foods. Use a specific alternative protein(s) to demonstrate how it could achieve similar functions (e.g., physiochemical functionalities or sensorial attributes) as a specific traditional protein in the same food product or product category.
- Topic 4: Nutritional value: Proteins vary in amino acid compositions as well as their digestibility and bioavailability. Propose a food product made with alternative proteins and show how it compares to a similar product made with traditional proteins in terms of amino acid composition, digestibility, and bioavailability.
- Topic 5: Commercial / market research. Commercializing food products made with alternative proteins to the right markets is a challenge. Choose a specific product or product category to show how products made with alternative proteins can impact current and/or future market demands compared to its equivalent or a similar product or product category made with traditional proteins.
Entry Form

Deadline: April 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m. CT
Competition participants will be notified of their status prior to IFT FIRST: Annual Event & Expo. Monetary prizes of $1000, $750, and $500 will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners respectively.
- All participants must be IFT student members
- Teams of 3-5 students
- Teams may be undergraduate students, graduate students, or both together
- With or without mentor (e.g., professor, industry expert, etc.)
- Students from different (or the same) universities around the globe can collaborate
The submission will be evaluated based of 5 aspects: Relevancy of the addressed problem, Scientific merit of the proposed solution, Innovation of the proposed solution, practical application of the proposed solution, and quality of the submission.