Inês Soares, a Master's student in Biotechnology and Innovation, and Rita Vedor, a Postgraduate student in Nutrition, Psychology and Health, both from the Faculty of Biotechnology at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, have been awarded 1st place in the 2025 edition of the ECOTROPHELIA Portugal competition with their project Snack-a-Tummy.
Snack-a-Tummy is a functional and balanced snack, specially developed to meet the nutritional needs of children, yet so tasty it appeals to the whole family. It comes in an innovative dual-compartment format: one containing fermented milk enriched with the probiotic strain Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and its postbiotic concentrate, and the other with chewy apple sticks made from flour and purée of Alcobaça Red IGP apples. The snack is a source of calcium, high in protein and fibre, gluten-free, with a Nutri-Score A, and embodies a sustainable approach that valorises national by-products.
The national ECOTROPHELIA Portugal competition took place on 9 July at the Alfândega Congress Centre in Porto, bringing together 20 projects and 77 university students from across the country. Among the eight finalists, Snack-a-Tummy stood out for its innovation, nutritional value and sustainability, earning the title of overall winner of the 9th edition of the competition.
Winning 1st place secured the team a €2,000 cash prize, awarded by Crédito Agrícola, as well as direct access to the ECOTROPHELIA Europe competition, to be held during the ANUGA trade fair in Cologne (Germany) on 7 and 8 October 2025.
In addition to the main prize, the team also received the following distinctions:
- Business UP Award, granted by PORTIC – Porto Innovation Center, recognising the team’s entrepreneurial spirit and offering mentorship by Start-Up Porto, as well as a visit to PORTIC facilities;
- Strategy UP Award, from the consultancy firm MarketAccess, providing strategic support to strengthen the business plan for the European competition;
- Design UP Award, awarded by TastingDesign, offering specialised consultancy to enhance the project’s design and presentation.
Although not formally part of the team, Maria Leonor Castro played a crucial role as project mentor, providing continuous support throughout the development and application process. Maria Leonor is a PhD student and researcher at the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF), highlighting the strong scientific involvement of the academic community in the success of this project.
Snack-a-Tummy is more than just a healthy snack: it is a clear example of how science, innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand in developing future food solutions. The Faculty of Biotechnology and the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry congratulate their students on this achievement and wish them every success in the European competition.
