Earning a top spot in a national food science competition takes more than proving yourself as a chef, according to Vidita Deshpande, a Ph.D. candidate studying food science at Utah State University. She said perfecting the chemistry in food is what takes the cake in competitions by professional organizations like the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).
“A lot of my friends ask me if I’m a chef and if you taste my food it’s not always that great,” Deshpande said.
But, Deshpande can tell you all about the chemical reactions in the food as it is being cooked, or over-cooked in some situations.
What started as a class project for Deshpande and her team, turned into an entry for a national competition.
“We started it as mini-pizzas, which are like four-inch pizzas,” she said. “Once we decided to take it to the competition we decided to alter the composition of it. We had to cut down on the cheese, cut down all the flavorful parts of it and make sure it still tastes great and looks great so that kids can really enjoy it.”
The mini-pizzas were altered into cauliflower crust pizza bites. These quick snacks for children and adults are 1.5-inch squares of cauliflower based ingredients. Before the competition Deshpande and her team put their creation to the test with senior citizens, adults, students and of course kids, all giving positive feedback.
The judges for the IFT competition were from the USDA, a variety of food companies, and food science professors. Deshpande said each judge had useful insights from their respective industries.
“When we go there as finalists we go and present our product and a PowerPoint slide. Then you have a sensory tasting where the judges actually taste the product, give you feedback, they have more questions for you,” she said.
After placing second in the competition, Deshpande and her team have a goal of putting the cauliflower crust pizza bites on the market for consumers.
