“TwiceYum”, a two-in-one dessert which is ice-cream in its frozen state and yoghurt when melted was named the Product of the Year at the DUT Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology’s 2012 Food Product Launch held on Tuesday (23 October 2012).
The much anticipated event took place at the DUT Hotel School, Ritson Campus, where S4 level (second-year) student groups showcased innovative food products.
The products, decked out on colourful platters and tables, were tasted and critiqued by a panel of judges from the local food industry. The tasting session was then followed by group presentations and later awards.
Mthokozisi Mdibi, Rowan Lee Chetty and Nkululeko Madondo; the manufacturers of the winning product were dumb founded when their product was announced as the Best Overall product. The group received a R3000 cash prize sponsored by the South African Association for Food Science and Technology SAAFOST).
The Best Scientific Content went to “Tea-Gestives”, digestive biscuits that are high in anti-oxidants and that contain Rooibos and green tea extracts while “Soy Café”, a caffeine free soya-based beverage with a taste similar to coffee won for the Best Audio/Visual. The Best Display and Sensory was shared among “Amaranth Tea”, a highly nutritious tea made from a green leafy vegetable called Amaranthus Dubious and “Guiltless Pleasure”, a low fat, gelatin free ice cream with fibre.
The above-mentioned awards were sponsored by Tongaat Hulett Starch, containing a R1000 cash prize each.
Also present at the event was crop science specialist Michiel Smit who approached the Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology to have a new type of soya bean tested in some of the group projects. The bean has been grown and consumed in the Far East for a long time. Elaborating on the importance of introducing this product in South Africa, Smit said “as compared to the commercial soya bean, this soya bean is non-GMO (not genetically modified) and is high in protein- an agricultural product with the highest protein yield per unit area.”
Smit said high starch consumption is common in Africa so the high protein value of this soya bean makes it an ideal alternate product for this “protein-starved’ continent. Smit was also “very pleased” with how all the groups had incorporated the soya bean into their products, saying he is considering to work with next year’s students as well.
Annually, students in this level are tasked with researching the global food market, scrutinising the gaps that are available in the range of products being consumed by society and come up with novel food products.
This group project is an integral practical component for students in this level which forms part of their DP (course work) and contributes towards approximately 40 percent of their year mark.
–Naledi Hlefane
The winners:
Best Overall- “TwiceYum”
Best Scientific Content- “Tea-Gestives”
Best Audio/Visual- “Soy Café”
Best Display and Sensory- “Amaranth Tea”
Best Display and Sensory- “Guiltless Pleasure”
