A savory biscuit with tomato chutney, a biscuit made from wild seaweed and a gluten-free bread made from plant/vegetable waste from the food industry were the three products awarded this year by the contest as part of the Comendador Arménio Miranda Mentoring Programme. There was also space for awarding the Innovation Prize to a team that developed 100% biodegradable edible cutlery. An initiative that motivates and challenges Masters and Postgraduate students at the Faculty of Biotechnology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa to identify and apply, on a scientific basis, the most recent food trends, in line with the health and well-being requirements of the personal and family life, in an increasingly critical environmental context.
The program, which stands out for the follow-up that Comendador Arménio Miranda will be able to give to the projects, challenges the development of an innovative and sustainable food product in the different stages, from the concept, formulation, manufacturing process, packaging to the market and the business plan.
Crackers with tomato chutney
The group Ana Mota, Jazmin Osório, Liliana Ribeiro, students of the Masters in Food Engineering, was distinguished with 1st place in the Comendador Arménio Miranda Program, receiving a monetary prize of €2000. The group created the Appetito product, which consists of a savory biscuit filled with tomato chutney, providing an experience of contrasting flavors.
Main ingredient: wild seaweed from the Portuguese coast
The product Algabite, a biscuit made from wild seaweed from the Portuguese coast of the species “Kombu Laminária” with chocolate and pieces of almond, created by the group consisting of Beatriz Ferreira, Duarte Araújo, Nádia Canavezes, students of the Master’s Degree in Food Engineering, was distinguished with 2nd place in the Comendador Arménio Miranda Program, receiving a monetary prize of €1500.
Bread produced with losses from the food industry
The group Alex Andrade Lima and João Vasques de Almeida, also students from the Masters in Food Engineering, was distinguished with the 3rd Prize in the Comendador Arménio Miranda Program, having received a monetary prize of €1000. The group created Mill, a gluten-free bread made from plant/vegetable waste from the food industry, incorporating millet.
Edible cutlery? It´s true!
The Eat With Me product, created by Catarina Lourenço and Francisco Carvalho, students of the Masters in Food Engineering, consists of 100% biodegradable edible cutlery, an easily replaceable solution for plastic cutlery and produced using less energy than plastic utensils. These cutlery are made with plant-based ingredients: oat flour, rice flour and chickpea flour. The Eat With Me product was awarded the Innovation Prize.
The Comendador Arménio Miranda Mentoring Program aims to motivate and challenge Masters and Postgraduate students at the Faculty of Biotechnology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa to identify and apply, on a scientific basis, the latest food trends, in line with the requirements health and well-being of personal and family life, in an increasingly critical environmental context.
The presentation session took place on June 28, 2023, at the Faculty of Biotechnology, with the presence of a specialized jury, which included Comendador Arménio Miranda, honorary doctor of the Faculty of Biotechnology.
