It was a thrilling competition this year. The audience award at the FoodManShip Awards during the HAS Food Experience on 5 February finally had 2 winners: Ivo van Dijk, Animal Husbandry & Animal Care student, with his Sustainable dry sausage concept ‘Dreug’, and Food Technology students Fokke Cornelissen, Raisa Hupsel, Kevin van Kuijk, Karen Dirks and Susan Ardts, with their project Algae Food – Oven Snack & Stock. It was the first time a student not studying Food Technology or Food Innovation won the award.
Kees van Rooij, Mayor of Meijerijstad, presented the awards. He is committed to HAS University of Applied Science and the HAS Food Experience, not just as mayor of north-eastern Brabant’s food city, but also as board member of AgriFood Capital. During the entire HAS Food Experience, visitors were invited to cast their vote for one of the many projects for the audience award.
Dreug – Sustainable dry sausage
‘Dreug’ is a sustainable dry sausage made from pigs that are no longer profitable for farmers. Ivo: “They are considered a by-product in the chain, which results in farmers getting a lower price when the pigs are sold. I pay the farmers double the market price, on condition that the extra profit is spent on making their own business more sustainable. I work with a short supply chain, which keeps the sausages affordable. It’s an honour to have won, and to see that the work we’re doing is appreciated.”
Algae Food – Stock powder and oven snack
Algae Food consists of 2 concepts: a vegetable stock powder and a vegetarian oven snack. “Our aim with this concept is to create an easy way to familiarise consumers with algae,” the students behind the concept explain. “For this, we’re using fresh-water algae. For the vegetable stock, the algae serve as a flavour enhancer, allowing us to reduce the salt content by 60%. In the oven snack, we use the algae as an alternative protein source. Winning this prize is a fabulous way to end a great day!”
During the 11th edition of the HAS Food Experience, 200 aspiring food professionals presented innovative projects around the theme, ‘Today’s Food Challenges’. In addition to the audience award, 4 jury prizes were also awarded as part of the FoodManShip Awards. FoodManShip represents the unique combination of creativity, entrepreneurship and the food know-how with which students can differentiate themselves in the market. The winners were selected by a professional jury, headed by various lecturers from HAS University of Applied Science. The winners were:
Redondo - Fry free & hybrid snack
A project by Food Technology students from ‘s-Hertogenbosch: Inge Verbeek, Amy Leenaars, Sophie Willemsen and Pieke Schepers. The Redondo is a Mexican fry-free snack that the students developed for a company. “We were really surprised when we heard we’d won the prize,” the say. “It shows appreciation for our work and we’re proud of this recognition. We learnt a lot from the assignment. The HAS Food Experience event was already important to us, but winning has really been the icing on the cake.”
The Green Muffin - Vegetable muffin
A concept by Loekie Hofstee, who’s studying Food Innovation in Venlo. The Green Muffin is a vegetable muffin in ‘to-go’ packaging, for any time of day. Loekie explains why it’s packed with seasonal vegetables: “I see beauty in the Dutch seasons. “The supermarkets have very few ready-to- go products based on seasonal vegetables, so I saw a great opportunity. The muffin is really home-made and can be enjoyed any time of day. My goal is now to launch it on the market.”
t-zak - tea for men
A concept by ‘s-Hertogenbosch Food Innovation student, Rachelle ’t Hart. t-zak is a spicy tea aimed at men. Rachelle ’t Hart: “I’m on an internship in a company with just men. I was the only one drinking tea, and noticed that tea is inherently linked to women. I wanted to do something about this and developed a tea for men. To do this, I had extensive contact with men, and work with them to determine the best flavours. It’s great to win. I’m really thrilled.”
Different Delicious – pear cider
A concept by Eefje Willems, who’s studying Food Innovation in ‘s_Hertogenbosch. Different Delicious is a pear cider made from waste flows. Eefje Willems: “I was very frustrated by the large amount of food being wasted. I wanted to try to tackle this. I really enjoy good wine and a drink in the sunshine. In my concept, I have now combined the two. I did a lot of research and talked to experts. Because creating a good cider isn’t easy. I am proud of winning the award. It’s a stepping stone that can definitely help me further.”