Institute of Food Technologists Student Association Celebrates Achievement Award and Competition Winners at IFT FIRST

CHICAGO – July 27, 2023 – Last week, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific organization committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system, celebrated the IFT Student Association (IFTSA) Achievement Award and Competition winners at IFT FIRST, which was held July 16-19 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Competitions took place July 17-18 with the IFTSA Closing Ceremony being held on July 18. IFTSA is a student-governed community of IFT members and the mission-driven organization executes programming and competitions throughout the year, supports student members and chapters, and aims to develop the leaders in the future of the science of food.

“IFTSA members represent the future of the food profession, and IFT is proud to help enrich their academic experience and empower these students to thrive as a community. Their passion for the science of food is truly inspiring,” said Kate Dockins, Senior Vice President, Membership Experiences at IFT.

A summary of Achievement Award and Competition Winners is below:

IFTSA & Mars Product Development Competition

Through a 33-year sponsorship with Mars Wrigley, school teams develop a new food idea and carry the concept through marketing and production. The winner of the IFTSA and Mars Product Development Competition was CaféNana from 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. This was the 15th consecutive year that Cornell’s student team has made it to the finals.

Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Product Development Competition

The IFTSA Developing Solutions for Developing Countries product development competition promotes the application of food science and technology and the development of new products and processes that are targeted at improving the quality of life for people in developing countries. This year’s winner was Newbies (Drasties) from IPB University in Indonesia. Drasties is a new and innovative smoothie produced using local ingredients, such as dragon fruit, to help local Indonesian producers and keep prices affordable. It can also service as a nutritional value drink substitute.

The Developing Solutions for Developing Countries competition is sponsored by Feeding Tomorrow Fund of IFT, which encourages, promotes, and rewards the excellence of students pursuing careers in the science of food through various efforts including a variety of academic tuition scholarships. Every year, the Feeding Tomorrow Fund of IFT offers undergraduate and graduate scholarships for students interested in pursuing careers in the science of food.

Smart Snacks for Kids Product Development Competition

The IFTSA Smart Snacks for Kids Competition challenges students to develop a fun and nutritious food or beverage product that abide by the USDA “Guide to Smart Snacks in School” recommendations. Now in its sixth year, the IFTSA Smart Snacks for Kids Competition challenges students to develop a fun and nutritious food or beverage product targeted at kids and/or teens. The winner of the $3,000 top prize was Hungry Monsters from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. Hungry Monsters is a chocolate-flavored tart that kids can build themselves by filling the tarts and decorating them into hungry monsters using fun decorations.

Graduate Research Video Competition

A long-time sponsor of the event, Campden BRI offered graduate students the opportunity of a lifetime. The winner of the Graduate Research Video Competition – which featured graduate students showcasing their original research in a fun, creative, three-minute video – is invited to visit Campden BRI in the United Kingdom. Jenna Fryer from Oregon State University won for her research on “Sipping Smoke – What is the sensory impact of wildfires on wine?”. As winner, Fryer will engage in a 10-day industry visit in the United Kingdom where she will have the opportunity to experience each of the major divisions of Campden BRI (science, technology, brewing, and knowledge management) and gain insight into the UK/EU perspective.

Undergraduate Research Competition

Sponsored by Phi Tau Sigma, the competition was designed to showcase outstanding research at the undergraduate level. Adam Forbes from the University of Massachusetts Amherst was recognized for his research on “Assessing and Predicting the Color Stability of Anthocyanins in the Presence of Ferrous Sulfate”.

College Bowl

Since 1985, the IFTSA College Bowl Competition has tested the knowledge of student teams from across the United States in the following areas: food science and technology, the history of foods and food processing, food law, and general IFT/food-related trivia. The College Bowl is designed to facilitate interaction among students from different universities and provides a forum for students to engage in friendly competition. Teams for IFTSA Student Chapters competed in regional competitions within eight geographical areas, then the winning regional teams competed live in a final competition at IFT FIRST. Earning the prestigious title of College Bowl champions this year was Clemson University, winning the College Bowl for the first time.

Excellence in Leadership: Graduate and Undergraduate

The Excellence in Leadership Award recognizes two student members of IFT, one undergraduate and one graduate student, who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in their execution of student activities that furthers the mission of IFT. The graduate student winner was Anto Charles from North Dakota State University, and the undergraduate winner was Wanxin (Maggie) Xue from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

Chapter of the Year

The Chapter of the Year Award honors one IFTSA Chapter that exemplifies IFTSA’s Vision and Mission and providing value to its members locally. This award also honors outstanding chapters in each of the following strategic promises: Prepare for the Future and Celebrate the Community. There are more than 60 IFTSA Chapters around the world. The winning Chapter this year was Louisiana State University. Two other awards in this category were the Prepare the Future Award and Celebrate the Community Award, which were presented to Rutgers University and the University of Georgia, respectively.

The future of the science of food was the focus of IFT’s recently released Compensation & Career Path Report, which is free to Premier and Student members. To learn more about becoming a member, go to ift.org/membership.

About Institute of Food Technologists Student Association

The Institute of Food Technologists Student Association (IFTSA) is a student-governed community of more than 2,000 IFT members spanning 60 Chapters in 59 countries. IFTSA’s vision of a global community of inspired and informed students who are prepared for a future in food drives its mission to enrich the academic experience and empower students to thrive individually and together. To prepare the future and celebrate the community, IFTSA provides opportunities beyond the classroom and lab, grows student networks to facilitate meaningful and lasting connections, as well as includes and promotes diverse perspectives and backgrounds to foster a culture of belonging. For more information, visit ift.org/community/students.

About Institute of Food Technologists

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a global organization of approximately 12,000 individual members from more than 100 countries committed to advancing the science of food. Since 1939, IFT has brought together the brightest minds in food science, technology and related professions from academia, government, and industry to solve the world’s greatest food challenges. IFT works to ensure that its members have the resources they need to learn, grow, and advance the science of food as the population and the world evolve. IFT believes that science is essential to ensuring a global food supply that is sustainable, safe, nutritious, and accessible to all. For more information, please visit ift.org.

Media Contact

Dennis Van Milligen
Senior Manager, Public and Media Relations
Institute of Food Technologists
630-853-3022
[email protected]