Third year Food Technology students recently showcased their skills at the New Food Product Launch.
The event, which is held annually, is the highlight of the three-year diploma course.
It sees students presenting food products that they developed to representatives from major food manufacturing companies in South Africa .
The 2008 event was held on 26 November 2008 at the Bellville Campus and proved to be a huge success. The quality of the products and the packaging was of such a standard that one could easily mistake it for products displayed in any retail outlet.
A total of 15 new products were on display. The products included frozen deserts, frozen meals, fermented beverages, snacks, biscuits, sauces, dips and candy.
Head of the Food Technology Department, Dr Jessy van Wyk said each year third year students are tasked with developing a product from scratch.
Dr van Wyk said the aim of the task is to ensure that students have the skills necessary to hit the ground running when they enter the industry.
During the process of developing a product, students are required to utilise all the skills they acquired during the three year course.
At the start of the project students are divided into groups of five and have to conceptualise an idea for a product.
Dr van Wyk said they then go on to develop a formulation for the product that meets commercial production standards.
“This gives them an opportunity to become familiar with commercial ingredients,” she said.
Students must also adhere to food legislation, provide suitable packaging and appropriate labeling.They also have to produce a scientific report on the product and calculate what price the product can be sold for. Guest speaker at the event, Jeff Austin from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), applauded the students work.
“You did a tremendous job in thinking up these products and developing them,” he said.
Austin, whose role includes ensuring that all products exported from Africa to the United States adhere to various regulations, emphasised the role food technologists play in ensuring products adhere to various food legislation.
“It’s great to create a product, but if you cannot enter it into the market then it’s useless,” he said.
He said unsafe food does not only pose a threat for the consumer, but also for the agriculture sector.
Austin said students who will go out into the market place must adhere to the food regulations when producing products.
The event concluded with the presentation of awards to groups who produced excellent products. The awards were sponsored by food manufactures.
- The Tongaat Hulett Starch prize for the most potential product in terms of marketability was awarded to Chicken Roulade (chicken and vegetable spirals).
- The Orley Foods prize for the most innovative product was awarded to Blushing Berry (mixed berry dessert topping).
- The Kimix prize for suitability for the target market was awarded to Cinneach (peach and cinnamon crunchie).
- The group D Lish Ice (chocolate frozen dessert) walked away with three prizes: the Freddy Hirsh prize for the product with the most consumer appeal, the AgriFood Technology Station prize for the best product from a technical point of view and the SAAFoST prize for the overall best product.
By Candes Keating
Photograph: (clockwise) Peach and cinnamon crunchies, De-Lite-Full brownies, a member of the The D Lish Ice group, Blushing Berry, chilli-flavoured fish Viennas.
Written by CPUT News
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