Congratulations to the NUS FST Team for achieving the 2nd Prize at the 2021 South East Asian Food Innovation Challenge
FST is proud to announce that Team Butterfly Pea Ice Cream, comprising a group of 4 students from the NUS Department of Food Science and Technology − Derick Lee, Paulie Teo, Tan Ting Wei and Yeo Yong Liang − emerged as the 2nd prize winner of the 2021 South East Asian Food Innovation Challenge that lasted from March to June 2021, out of 125 proposals from 13 different countries. Soliciting innovative ideas that promulgate sustainability of the food system and that advocate for reduced animal impact while not compromising on nutrition, taste and texture, the challenge was organized by Proveg International in collaboration with key players in the food industry focusing increasingly on the development of plant-based products namely Beyond Meat, Charoen Pokphand Foods, Haofood, Nestlé, Oatly and Unilever.
About the team’s proposal
Receiving guidance and mentorship from Nestlé, the team proposed a plant-based, coconut-flavoured butterfly pea ice-cream. A fully vegan formulation, the butterfly pea ice cream initially appears bright blue owing to the anthocyanins abundant in blue butterfly pea flowers. Upon adding acidic solutions like lemon juice, the pH-sensitive degradation of the natural pigments changes the colour of the ice cream into a galaxy-like purple. For maximal consumer experience, the team conceptualized a novel “cone-cup” packaging that, as the name suggests, compartmentalizes the product into a “cup” that contains the ice cream and a “cone” that contains the acidic solution boosted with sugar for freezing point depression. Upon detachment of the “cone” from the “cup”, the former can serve as 1. an on-off dispenser of the acidic solution and 2. a scoop for mixing and consumption of the ice-cream. Being a plant-based product with a unique visual appeal, the team believes that the value proposition of the butterfly pea ice cream suits the palates of Gen Z individuals. The team also proposed to diversify the product pipeline into various permutations of colours and flavours, as well as to look into more sustainable packaging should their product be commercialized.
About protein alternatives
Amidst the plethora of emerging, innovative meat analogues such as mycoprotein, insect-based meats and lab-cultured meats, plant-based meat analogues made predominantly of gluten, soy, pea or proteins, being the longest-living vanguard of the industry, remain a glimmering gem continually receiving attention and experiencing steady growth and innovation over the years. With concerns over animal rights, the effect of land and resource constraints on the sustainability of poultry meat products, as well as of rearing livestock on global warming, more people are turning to meat analogues as a sustainable solution to humanity’s food security and ethical issues, on top of merely health and religious reasons. Meat analogues have revolutionised the food industry, and are certainly here to stay.