Newswise — LAS VEGAS—Food technologists teamed up with culinary experts, manufacturers and school food service staff to take on the challenge of creating a healthy and tasty lunch option to serve in school cafeterias for the Making Healthy School Meals Easy Challenge. The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in partnership with the IFT Foodservice Division and the American Culinary Federation (ACF) developed this competition to increase the accessibility of healthy foods throughout the country. The winners were announced during the 2012 IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo in Las Vegas.
The challenge required each team to convert a recipe from the 2011 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Recipes for Healthy Kids competition into a manufactured product for widespread distribution and use in school cafeterias.
Team Z-Trim’s Smokin’ Powerhouse Chili won first place. Second place went to Team Arizona’s Porcupine Sliders and third place went to Team Delicious for their Roasted Fish Crispy Slaw Wrap.
The products were judged on nutritional content, flavor, cost and realistic application in a cafeteria setting. Judges included Executive Chef Charles Wilson from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, school food service representatives, food scientists, and high school culinary students, including Junior Iron Chef Competition Winners.
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About IFT For more than 70 years, IFT has existed to advance the science of food. Our nonprofit scientific society—more than 18,000 members from more than 100 countries—brings together food scientists, technologists and related professions from academia, government, and industry. For more information, please visit ift.org.