News Release

Tropical fish feed and biofuel take top soy prizes

Tropical fish feed and an alternative biofuel are the top winners in this year's Project SOY (Soybean Opportunities for Youth), an annual contest for University of Guelph students to develop new uses and markets for soybeans.

The event, which runs over the course of the fall and winter semesters, involved 13 student teams. Federal agriculture and agri-food minister Lyle Vanclief and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA ) minister Brian Coburn were special guests at an awards ceremony held on campus earlier this week. The ministers -- along with president Mordechai Rozanski; Liam McCreery, chair of the Ontario Soybean Growers; and Peter Hannam, president of First Line Seeds - presented the winners with first-, second- and third-place awards in undergraduate/graduate and diploma categories. The awards were $2,500, $1,000 and $500 respectively in each category.

"Our common goal - the University, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, OMAFRA and the industry - is to take Ontario's number one agricultural commodity and explore new dimensions for it by creating new products with new markets," Rozanski said. "Project SOY is the kind of initiative that will help us get there, by harnessing the ideas, the energy and the enthusiasm of an up-and-coming generation of innovators."

First place in the undergraduate/graduate category went to a soy-based tropical fish feed called Soy Fizzy, developed by food science graduate students Min Seok Chae and Vincent Sy. Second place in the undergraduate/graduate category went to Soya Pancakes - Complete Mix, by biomedical sciences-toxicology student Janine Ewasko and food science undergraduate students Kelly Maguire and Troy Sturzenegger. Third place was awarded to SoyaFlame, a clean-burning fireplace log made from okara (a soy waste product), created by food science students Farhad Alibhai, Yuri Nakanishi and Joe Vandenburg.

In the diploma category, first place was awarded to J.S. BiSoy Fuel - a renewable-resource fuel made from soybeans - developed by Kemptville College students Stéphane Bériault and Jason McIntosh. Second place went to Collège d'Alfred student Susanne Lapointe for Soy and Maple Treats. Third place went to Soy Good 4 Dogs, dog treats made by Kemptville College students Brittany Wagner and Stacie Warren. Honourable mention went to Ridgetown College students Allan Sutherland and James Webster for SoySlick, a ski and snowboard wax made from natural products.

Project SOY was initiated in 1996 to harness the creativity of Guelph students in finding innovative new uses for soybeans, the number one cash crop in Ontario. Past Project SOY winning ideas have included edible food packaging, lavender-scented udder balm, heart-healthy soy bagels, a coffee-like beverage made from roasted soybeans, and environmentally friendly soy-based candles.

Student participants in Project SOY who want to take their products to the commercialization stage can now apply to the Hannam Soybean Utilization Fund (HSUF) for assistance. The HSUF, which dedicates up to $100,000 a year for advanced soybean research by students and faculty, was a gift to the University from Peter Hannam, an Ontario Agricultural College graduate who was instrumental in initiating Project SOY.

Project SOY is sponsored by First Line Seeds and the University of Guelph, with additional support from the Ontario Soybean Growers, Maple Leaf Foods International, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Yves Veggie Cuisine. Students at the University of Guelph and its affiliate colleges in Ridgetown, Kemptville and Alfred are eligible to participate.

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Contacts:
Owen Roberts
Director, Research Communications
(519) 824-4120, Ext. 8278

Erinn White,
(519) 824-4120, Ext. 3511

For media questions, contact:
Communications and Public Affairs,
519-824-4120, Ext. 3338.

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