STUDENT NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COMPETITION WINNERS 16 undergraduate student groups from the University of the Free State, Durban University of Technology, the University of Pretoria and University of Johannesburg had their proposed products judged by a panel of product development professionals from the industry at the South African Association for Food Science & Technology (SSAFoST) 20th Biennial Congress in Pretoria over the past few days. FIRST PRIZE Awarded to Baorula ice cream: baobab-flavoured coconut milk ice cream with a marula liquid centre - developed by Bianca Lee King, Gugu Mcina, Noshile Dladla, Ryan Whittaker and Shaakira Yousuf from the University of Pretoria. The group proposed this novel food product with distinct flavours, as it can be marketed globally and makes use of readily available resources such as baobab, marula and coconut. They explained that this ice cream is targeted at middle to high income dairy and non-dairy market consumers and is packaged in serving size containers (125ml) made out of polypropylene accompanied by a plastic spoon, making it a convenient, easy-to-eat product. The manufacturing process includes an Emery Thompson freezer, with an adaptation of the filling process through the use of syrup injection. SECOND PRIZE Awarded to Lindsay Hogg from the University of Pretoria for her African-style pesto. Hogg was motivated to replace the Italian ingredients typical in pestos (olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese) with African flavours such as peanuts, coconut, chillies and cumin to introduce high-income to new flavour profiles and spices. She decided not to use any heat treatments and to wash the fresh herbs and chillies in an 80ppm solution of chlorine to control microbial growth, followed by the implementation of a strict cold chain for this reduced fat, refrigerated product. THIRD PRIZE Awarded to heat and eat reticulum (honeycomb) bovine tripe in chakalaka stew packaged in a retort pouch – developed by Charlotte van Niekerk, Gosai Milaniak, Joseph Kamdem, Marileen Jansen and Memory Chawazee from the University of Pretoria. The team wanted to utilise locally-sourced (Hatfield, Pretoria) tripe as a raw material for its product to appeal to low to medium income working class consumers. The members identified the following as challenges in the process: flavour changes, safety and quality with regards to microbial pathogens and spoilage mechanisms as well as consumer acceptance.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 15:04:30 +0000