Students from the UdL and the UOC receive award for innovative new dairy product
Three students from the University of Lleida (UdL), Laura Rubió, Aida Serra and Alba Barbero, and one from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC), Xavier Gallart, have designed a new dairy product, rich in fibre and made from kefir, honey and sweetened flax, sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
With the name Kiff, the students who carried out this project wanted to combine different textures and aromas, mixing traditional flavours with the functional and health aspects of food. The fermentation process applied to the product increases health benefits through probiotic and prebiotic effects.
Respect for the environment was also one of the points that were taken into account in development of the product, and accordingly a zero waste technological process was employed. The packaging is made from sustainable plastic manufactured with alternative non-petroleum sources, such as ethanol from sugar cane and potato starch.
Laura Rubió and Aida Serra are students in the master’s degree in Innovation in Agro-Food Production Systems and in the undergraduate degree in Food Science and Technology at the UdL; Xavier Gallart studies Psychology at the UOC.
The product, which is being presented with the slogan “Kiff: a kefir kiss”, won third prize in the 2011 edition of EcoTrophelia, held recently in Valencia. These prizes, addressed to university students, value the innovative nature of the foods presented, while also emphasizing environmental aspects of the elaboration process.
The awards are promoted by the Spanish Food and Drink Industry Federation (FIAB), with collaboration from the Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs.
