by Mary Ellen Kuhn
Student teams from international and U.S.-based universities will do their part to make the world a better place—and earn some recognition in the process—when the Developing Solutions for Developing Countries competition moves into its final stages in New Orleans. The competition’s oral finals will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, June 13, in Room 388 of the Morial Convention Center.
This IFT Student Association competition, now in its third year, invites food science students from around the globe to address critical issues in the development, safety, and distribution of food. For 2011, competing teams were challenged to use food science and technology to address the issue of iron deficiency in developing countries.
According to Competition Chair Ji Li, the products developed by the finalist teams—three international and three domestic—are mainly iron-fortified, flour-based semi-finished products. Li adds that the products are positioned to deliver both functionality and delicious taste.
The international finalists and their products are as follows: Brawijaya University, Indonesia—instant noodles; Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia— soy rice porridge; and Institute of Chemical Technology, India—Ferro-Power, a functional flour.
The domestic finalists and their products include the following: Cornell University—Mandimais, a fortified cookie with a superfruit filling; Rutgers University—Galletas Fortaleza, a flavorful sandwich cookie; and University of Minnesota, Twin Cities—Nkwa Brodo, a powder bread mix.
The Developing Solutions for Developing Countries competition is sponsored by General Mills.
Watch for an announcement of the competition winners in IFT Live.
