Soy Syrup, Biodegradable Cups Win Top Prizes at Project Soy
March 25, 2009 - News Release
Biodegradable cups made from soy fibre and maple syrup enhanced with soy took top prizes at the 13th annual Project SOY competition.
Established to create new uses and marketing strategies for soybeans, the competition showcased 16 projects from 39 University of Guelph students, including participants from the regional campuses at Alfred, Ridgetown and Kemptville. Projects ranged from cupcakes and barbecue sauce to dye and moisturizer.
The guest of honour at the event, Leona Dombrowsky, Ontario’s minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, said Project SOY represents how agriculture and the environment come together.
“Green and renewable is where we think the future of our industry should go,” she said. “We’ll get there through innovative efforts like these.”
Cash prizes were awarded to the top three projects in two categories: diploma and undergraduate/graduate.
First place in the diploma category went to Ridgetown student Carolynn Seaton for developing Soylutions, a biodegradable container made from soy fibre. Second prize was won by Alfred student Lugi Stephano Bikeroti for Sunsoya Cake, and third place was a tie between two Ridgetown students: Mitch Sykes for a soy-based dye and Luke Chamberlain for Soy-Sweet BBQ Sauce.
Topping the undergraduate/graduate category was Soyrup by Guelph students Evelyn Yeh and Anita Chung. Second place was a tie between SoyCare, a moisturizing cloth developed by Nicole Beechey, Stephanie Holodinsky and Jeffrey Sattin, and Solla, a chocolate soy spread created by Elise Ringgenberg, Hayley Rutherford, Paige Schell and Silvia Garcia. Third prize went to Juan Du, Whei Ong and Pauline Ying Pong for a soybean dumpling called Sompling.
Mark Lawton of Monsanto, one of the event judges, said he was amazed at the many ways soybeans can be worked into commercial products.
“The quality of the projects was top-notch,” he said. “The students are learning how to take an idea to the marketplace – from the initial idea right through to product development, marketing, manufacturing and pricing. This is a great day for agriculture.”
Project SOY is sponsored by Dekalb Brand Seeds, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ontario Soybean Growers.
Contacts:
Owen Roberts, Director, Research Communications, 519-824-4120, Ext. 58278, owen@uoguelph.ca
Maria Dombrowsky, Student Co-ordinator, 519-824-4120, Ext. 56638, soybeans@uoguelph.ca
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, Ext. 53338, lhunt@uoguelph.ca, or Barry Gunn, Ext. 56982, bagunn@uoguelph.ca.
