In the context of the 13th Competition ECOTROPHELIA 2023, organized by the Federation of Hellenic Food Industries (SEVT), aiming at the development of eco-innovative food products, a team of graduate and undergraduate students at the Laboratories of Food Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry NKUA, was awarded the 3th prize for the product “AiryBerry” (https://www.sevt.gr/en/news-details/HM-Nsg/ecotrophelia-2023-teleth-brabeyshs).
In the final phase of the competition, on June 21, 2023, 11 teams participated, with 11 different final products. Each one of the teams presented its product, emphasizing on the innovation, but also a marketing and business plan, to the National Evaluation Committee, which consists of researchers and representatives of the food industry. Then tasting followed, by the members of the Committee, members of SEVT and the public.
The “AiryBerry” team consists of 8 students of the Department of Chemistry NKUA (in alphabetical order):
Andreou Aikaterini, graduate student in MSc program “Food Chemistry”
Avdylaj b, graduate student in MSc program “Food Chemistry”
Kaplanis Apostolos, graduate student in MSc program “Food Chemistry”
Kopsacheili Anna, graduate student in MSc program “Food Chemistry”
Mastrotheodoraki Artemis, graduate student in MSc program “Food Chemistry”
Zoi Athina Maria, graduate student in MSc program “Food Chemistry”
Zoi Artemisia, graduate student in MSc program “Inorganic Chemistry and its Application in the Industry”
Prapa Georgia, undergraduate student
and of 2 Team Supervisors from the Department of Chemistry NKUA (in alphabetical order):
Valdramidis Vasilis, Associate Professor, Food Chemistry Laboratory
Paraskevopoulou Patrina, Associate Professor, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory
Acknowledgements to Associate Professor Proestos Charalampos, Head of the Food Chemistry Laboratory, Assistant Professor Dasenaki Marilena and Dr. Kollia Eleni (Food Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry NKUA), Professor Pitsikalis Marinos (Industrial Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry NKUA), Dr. Katsaros George and Dr. Giannoglou Marianna (ELGO DIMITRA) for their help and support.
“AiryBerry” is a premium food product that consists of fruit-based aerogels and cereals, and it is served as a topping. It is also an environmentally friendly food product. Its basic ingredient, which is also the one that make this product different from any other product in the market, is aerogels from strawberry and other berries juice, from fruit that are withdrawn from the market because of mechanical damage and undesirable appearance, combining thus innovation and food waste reduction.
