The National Competition of eco-innovative food products, ECOTROPHELIA 2023, was held with great success on Wednesday, June 21st, in Athens, Greece. The competition, organized by the Association of Greek Food Industries since 2011, once again showcased the remarkable innovation displayed by young students.
In the final phase of the National Competition, 11 teams of students from 10 Universities in Greece were selected. They presented their products, impressing the audience, which included representatives from the academic and research community as well as the business world. The products exhibited outstanding quality, innovation, unique nutritional characteristics, and a commitment to environmental sustainability.
The 1st prize was awarded to a team of graduate and undergraduate students from the Food Chemistry Laboratory at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The team competed with their product called “Peelaste“. As winners, they will represent Greece in the corresponding European Competition, which will be held as part of the International Food & Beverage Exhibition Anuga on October 8-9 in Cologne, Germany. (https://www.sevt.gr/en/news-details/HM-Nsg/ecotrophelia-2023-teleth-brabeyshs).
The winning team of “Peelaste” consists of 6 students from the Department of Chemistry at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and 2 students from outside the department (in alphabetical order):
Konstantina Avdala, undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry
Katerina Anastasopoulou, graduate student in MSc program “Food Chemistry”
Konstantina Vogiantzi, undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry
Elpida Mantzakopoulou, graduate student in MSc program “Food Chemistry”
Pantelis Pavlis, undergraduate student from outside the department
Despoina Poikilidou, undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry
Thomas Rizos, undergraduate student from outside the department
Christos Skertos, undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry
and of 2 Team Supervisors from the Department of Chemistry NKUA (in alphabetical order):
Dr. Eleni Kollia, Chemist, Pharmacist, MSc, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Food Chemistry Laboratory
Dr. Konstantina Pasvanka, Chemist, MSc, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Food Chemistry Laboratory
Special thanks to Associate Professor Charalampos Proestos, Head of the Food Chemistry Laboratory, to Mr. Christos Giannopoulos, the graduate student, and to Ms. Foteini Gerodimou, doctoral candidate, for their assistance and support.
“Peelaste” is an environmentally friendly product that utilizes potato peels, providing a distinctive and innovative solution to the problem of food waste. “Peelaste” crackers are nutritious snacks with high nutritional value. They are gluten-free and lactose-free, making them suitable for all consumers. The team’s objective with their product is to facilitate the industrial utilization of potato peels, which are a prevalent byproduct, and to explore alternative methods of utilizing them, thereby enhancing their overall value.
The Peelaste crackers are made from natural ingredients and are available in 4 delightful flavors:
-Mediterranean salad (Mediterranean flavor with tomato, olive, and green peppers)
-Paprika Fiesta (Spicy flavor based on paprika and Florina peppers)
-Homemade Spanakopita (Spinach pie flavor with spinach, extra virgin olive oil, and herbs)
-Sweet Potato Harvest (Sweet version based on sweet potato, apple, orange, and cinnamon)
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