Organised by NUS Enterprise and the NUS Food Science and Technology (NUS FST)
Brownies made from food processing by-products, duckweed instant noodles, mung bean jelly and crunchy caterpillars — these protein-rich snacks were presented at the inaugural NUS (National University of singapore)FoodTech Challenge as the possible future of food.
Organised by NUS Enterprise and the NUS Food Science and Technology (NUS FST), the week-long competition held from 10 to 17 July aimed to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship among students in the food technology industry.
Tasked with developing a proposal or prototype of alternative proteins under the theme “Sustainable Protein, Beyond Soy”, 22 teams comprising students from universities and polytechnics vied for the top prize of $1,500 in cash, as well as a $10,000 grant and incubation at NUS Enterprise.
Combining the environmentally-friendly concepts of sustainable protein and zero waste, the winning team, Seedling, produced a unique blend of spent flour made entirely from food processing by-products such as okara, spent coffee grounds and jackfruit seeds. The flour provides up to 24 per cent protein. The novel processing method used by the team of five NUS FST students allows for a complete substitution of plain flour in baked goods and pastries. Brownies made with Seedling’s spent flour produced a rich, chocolatey flavour that required less cocoa.