NUS FoodTech Challenge 2021, held for the second time since 2019. “Tasty”, “delicious”, “I really like the product”, “I enjoyed the drink” were some of their comments after sampling entries by over 140 participants from various institutes of higher learning.
This year’s competition was organised by the NUS Food Science and Technology Society and NUS Enterprise in partnership with Nestlé R&D Centre Singapore – with the challenge to create differentiating concepts of Nestlé to excite Southeast Asian consumers with affordable, healthy and sustainable products through innovative application of side streams.
Relevant Nestlé products considered for innovation were ice cream, hot beverages and food (for instance, noodles and sauces) and side streams like Brewer’s spent grains, soy okara, coffee ground and oilseed press cakes.
Over a period of one month, 43 teams attended workshops by partner sponsors, start-up founders and senior representatives of leading food science and technology companies such as Nestlé, SG Food United, CP Kelco, IFF, Tate & Tyle and Manus Bio. They also held consultations with leading mentors from the foodtech industry and learnt about the business of start-ups from NUS Enterprise mentors.
After an intense preliminary round held virtually on 28 June, 10 teams were selected to vie for attractive cash prizes as well as an opportunity for incubation support by Nestlé and NUS Enterprise.
