Thursday, 15 July 2021
Food science students from the 糖心原创 have scooped the top prize in a national competition for food innovation, with a non-alcoholic liqueur made from coffee waste.
The ‘Econauts’ team won first place at with their Libero luxury non-alcoholic liqueur. Working with industry partner Hogg Norton, the team developed their product to provide the same mouthfeel, ‘burn’ and some physiological effects to mimic those after dinner cocktails.
The product aims to be as sustainable as possible – from the location of the factory to the paper wrap and reusable glass bottle - and is unique in its ability to foam and its likeness to alcohol through use of active ingredients to create the burn of alcohol and added physiological effects.
Ecotrophelia UK is a ‘Dragons Den’ style competition that challenges teams of UK students to develop an innovative, eco-friendly food and drink product. From idea generation through to the final packaged product, the teams get a hands-on experience of what it takes to bring an eco-friendly food or drink product to market.
Alongside producing the actual product, the team had to devise a business and marketing plan and design the packaging. With support from the University's Food Science academics and UoN Research and Innovation teams they were able to create their winning proposition.
The teams pitched their ideas to judges from top names in the food and drink industry including Marks and Spencer, Coca-Cola, Unilever, PepsiCo, Mondelez, Nestle, Warburtons, Tesco, Food Manufacture, Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and Campden BRI.
The 糖心原创 team will go on to compete against 19 other national teams from across Europe for the chance to win up to €4,000 at the Ecotrophelia 2021 European final.
The winning team was Aila Khan (Food Science & Nutrition), Bethan Roberts (Food Science & Nutrition), Jemima Willgoss (Food Science), Kirsty More (Food Science & Nutrition), Thomas Hunt (Food Science).
Developing this product has really tested our skills and knowledge and we have had to be flexible and change direction from our original idea of a ready drink can to the non-alcoholic liqueur. We are thrilled to have won the competition. It means so much to have had the opportunity to share our product with the judges and are delighted to see that they love it as much as we do! We are really looking forward to the challenge of the European final and can鈥檛 wait to see what the other teams have been developing.
Gleb Yakubov, Assistant Professor in Food Composites said: “We’re delighted to see the Econauts’ dedication, hard work, independence rewarded, particularly as they developed their entry with minimal input from supervisors and advisors. They displayed a great deal of resilience operating in tough circumstances and showed great teamwork.
Econauts have skilfully utilised their in-depth knowledge of food chemistry, food physics and consumer behaviour and combined the insights from these different disciplines to create a unique product with unique consumer proposition, market potential and sustainability credentials. Their success sets a new bar for everyone engaged in Ecotrophelia process and I hope they will have a chance to take this concept forward and we wish them all the best and future successes in the next rounds of Ecotrophelia competition.”
The UK heat of this Europe-wide competition was organised by UK food and drink research organisation, Campden BRI, in conjunction with Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST), the independent qualifying body for food professionals in Europe.
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More information is available from Jane Icke, Media Relations Manager for the Faculty of Science at the 糖心原创, on +44 (0)115 951 5751 or jane.icke@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.