Aarhus-students win international competition

This post is also available in: Danish

Can we incorporate sustainable alternatives into classic traditions? The question set the minds of a bunch of students at Aarhus University in motion, which has now resulted in a first place in the EIT Food entrepreneurship competition; Food Solutions.

They saw a need for a tasty vegan alternative to the danish classic “Coldbowl” and developed a version based on peas, oats and soy. The inspiration came from one of the members herself, who is vegan and has been frustrated by missing out on the Danish summer classic for many years. That’s why they decided to develop the product named COLDBOWL.

Market approval

A panel of vegans confirmed the quality of taste and texture compared to existing products on the market.

“Our results clearly show that we have hit the taste and texture better than our competitors. All of our panelists answered that they would buy our product if it was available in the supermarket,” says team member Aleksandra Sinik to Aarhus University.

But the competition is not just about developing a delicious sustainable food product, it’s just as much about creating a business plan, market analysis and advertising the product.

“It has been a great help to know that we have had skilled mentors we could contact if we had questions, needed sparring or feedback,” says Aleksandra Sinik.

About EIT Food

EIT Food is the world’s largest food innovation community. They aim to accelerate innovation to build a future-proof food system that produces healthy and sustainable food for all. The competition is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology(EIT), which invests in projects, organizations and individuals that contribute to the goal of a sustainable food system.

EIT Food is one of nine innovation communities established by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent EU institution created in 2008 to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.