FST Students Take 2nd in Regional Contest
April 5, 2024
Five food science and technology students took second place in a regional contest for creating a dairy and gluten-free cake that was a fusion of Mexican and Japanese flavors.
Green Dream Matcha Tres Leches cake earned the team runner-up honors at the 37th Annual Student Product Development Competition organized by the Southern California Institute of Food Technologists Section.
The competition required teams from Southern California colleges and universities to submit a preliminary and final written proposal for a new food product, create a display and oral presentation for their entry at a March 12 event, and provide samples for the judges and competition chair.
Judges would evaluate the food product based on several criteria:
- Product description and packaging
- Process description, including patent status and flow diagram
- Technical problem solving
- Safety/shelf life
- Economic feasibility
- Profitability and marketing assessment
- Sustainability
The team of Roshan Najafzadeh, Kirsten Wong, Fernando Hernandez, Vanessa Garcia and Kayley Kong began their project by conducting an in-depth study of prevailing food trends in the market.
Their research included reviewing recent publications and visiting grocery stores to gain insight into the trends and consumer preferences.
The team decided upon the Matcha Tres Leches cake idea, but with a twist: they would make it both gluten and dairy free. Instead of dairy milk, the students used three different types of oat milk. Instead of wheat flour, they opted for nut flour.
In addition, they incorporated spirulina powder to give it a distinct green color, which also provides vitamins, antioxidants, iron, protein, and minerals.
The team then conducted surveys aimed at gaining further insight and confirming they were on the right path.
“After researching the market, there are rarely any products that compare to the gluten-free and dairy-free Matcha Tres Leches Cake,” they concluded.
For their efforts, the team received $600 and certificates from SCIFTS.
The team’s advisors were Nutrition and Food Science Lecturer Feng Xie and Associate Professor Gabriel Davidov-Pardo.