The NUS FoodTech Challenge is an annual competition that gathers students from diverse tertiary educational institutions to collaboratively brainstorm and create groundbreaking food technology solutions. Participants aim to address critical challenges currently confronting the food industry, fostering innovation and practical problem-solving. The event includes workshops, mentorship sessions, and networking opportunities, providing participants with valuable insights and guidance from industry experts. By the end of the challenge, teams present their innovative solutions, with the best ideas often receiving awards and opportunities for further development and implementation.

Students from Department of Food Science and Technology, Ahmad Dzaky, Afif Nur Farisyi, and Diva Khadijah, have successfully became the first-place winner in the NUS FoodTech Challenge 2024 with their innovation titled Kawbucha: Kawa Daun-based Fermented Tea Drink. “Kawbucha is an innovative product that combines the fermentation techniques of kawa leaf tea with coffee leaves, aiming to leverage Gen-Z health trends and provide socio-economic benefits to coffee farmers,” said Ahmad Dzaky.

In addition to the Kawbucha Team, students from Department of Food Science and Technology, Gabriella Callista Winada, Nathanael Jordan, Juan Kelvin Immanuel, Nadia Istighfarini, and Mehitabel Amaris, also successfully became the second-place winner in the NUS FoodTech Challenge 2024 with their innovation titled Temp-O: Tempe Cereal with Lactose-Free Milk. “Temp-O is a tempe cereal combined with lactose-free milk, making it a healthy and nutritious breakfast option. Gen-Z is the target audience for Temp-O as it aligns with their fast-paced and practical lifestyle,” said Gabriella Callista.

Not only did the students from the Department of Food Science and Technology win the NUS FoodTech Challenge, but they also triumphed in the Developing Solutions for Developing Countries (DSDC) 2024 in Chicago. The IFTSA Developing Solutions for Developing Countries (DSDC) product development competition encourages the use of food science and technology to create new products and processes aimed at enhancing the quality of life for individuals in developing countries.

Imroati Fatimatuzzahra, Lathifa Novianti Lyantin, and Sarah Azzahra won second place in the DSDC 2024 competition with their innovation titled TANDUM Noodle: Non-wheat Dried Instant Noodles from Whole Green Banana Flour with Modified Cassava Flour and Sago Starch to Enhance Dietary Fiber Intake and Help Reduce the Rising Prevalence of T2DM in Indonesia. Additionally, Feizya Hilyata Musaddiq, Inaya Chairani Mahdiya, and Raychan Zalza Ansharullah secured third place with their innovation titled GEMBOOST: “Tempeh” Made from Jack Bean and Mung Bean Enriched by Tofu By-product (Okara) as a Prospective Nutritious Superfood to Lower Food Commodity Importation in Indonesia.

“Participating in DSDC has been an invaluable experience for me. Our journey began in September 2023 when my team and I started brainstorming product ideas to tackle the theme of DSDC 2024. We concentrated on developing a prototype for instant wheat-free noodles, which involved producing green banana flour, choosing the best composite flour, and operating the extruder. Despite numerous initial failures with our noodles, we gained significant insights through discussions with our supervisors, Ibu Saras and Pak Cahyo,” said Lathifa Novianti Lyantin.