Alexandre Adams Reis, Failat Momodu, Gioia Fabretti and Valentina Romanetto, students of the Master's programme in Food Engineering at the Faculty of Biotechnology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa, have developed Mood Flow, one of the finalist projects in the 2026 edition of the ECOTROPHELIA Portugal Award.
Mood Flow is an eco-innovative non-carbonated beverage made from hibiscus infusion, orange and pineapple juice, ginger and green tea, with no added sugars, artificial colourings or preservatives.
"Its intense red colour is entirely natural and comes from the anthocyanins present in hibiscus. The formulation also incorporates inulin and pectin and stands out for its use of orange peels and pineapple core as infusion substrates, recovering compounds from parts of the fruit that are usually discarded," explains the student team.
The product is packaged in a 330 ml amber glass bottle designed for reuse, supported by an incentive programme encouraging bottle returns.
The proposal occupies a space between existing product categories: it is neither a conventional iced tea, which often contains high sugar levels and offers limited nutritional value, nor a kombucha, whose fermentation process may lead to flavour variability and a level of acidity that is not always appreciated by consumers.
Mood Flow combines infusion and natural fruit juice in a beverage with a consistent sensory profile and a formulation that consumers can easily read and understand on the label. The proposed legal designation is "non-carbonated hibiscus and fruit beverage".
Biotechnology as a key asset
Biotechnology plays a role in every process decision, from the selection and understanding of active ingredients to the definition of infusion temperatures and pasteurisation parameters, as well as the valorisation of fruit peels as extraction substrates.
Organised by PortugalFoods, the ECOTROPHELIA Award promotes the development of eco-innovative and sustainable food products, bringing together students, lecturers, researchers and professionals from the agri-food sector.
The competition is widely recognised as an important innovation laboratory, encouraging entrepreneurship and the creation of solutions capable of addressing current challenges faced by the food industry.
A tradition of excellence
Mood Flow's presence among the finalists reinforces the School of Biotechnology's tradition of excellence in this competition. Over recent years, Católica students have received several distinctions at ECOTROPHELIA, including the national victory in 2025 with the Snack-a-Tummy project, which represented Portugal at the European final held in Germany.
Selection for the final stage already represents an important recognition of the work developed by the team, validating both the innovative potential of the proposal and the ability of School of Biotechnology students to transform scientific knowledge into solutions with market potential.
The ECOTROPHELIA Portugal 2026 Final, taking place on 2 and 3 July, will bring together the most promising projects from Portuguese higher education institutions, to be evaluated by a jury composed of experts from the agri-food industry, innovation and entrepreneurship sectors.
The winning project will represent Portugal in the European competition, taking national innovation beyond borders.
It is also worth noting that the Mood Flow project has already received the Comendador Arménio Miranda Innovation Award, worth €1,500, granted by the School of Biotechnology.