A University of Minnesota team took first place in the Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) New Product Competition with a cheese spread that meets the contest’s guidelines of creating innovative dairy-based products for consumers’ health and wellness needs.
The students created Yay-tost, a creamy Norwegian-style, brown, whey-based cheese spread that offers health-conscious consumers a good source of protein, contains 3 grams of dietary fiber and is an excellent source of calcium. The product comes in an aluminum squeeze tube that is recyclable.
Students Anandu Chandra Khanashyam, Abrielle Schnurr, Nghi Huynh and Suchismita Roy are studying food science and earned the first-place prize of $10,000. They were recognized during this week’s American Dairy Science Association’s annual meeting in West Palm Beach, Fla.
“There’s kind of a niche that’s missing for a high-protein spread,” Schnurr said. “The consistency of Yay-tost is somewhere between cream cheese and peanut butter, but this has almost no fat. It goes great with apples, and you can also spread it on toasted bread, crackers or waffles or even use it on a charcuterie board. It offers a lot of delicious versatility.”
The dairy checkoff has hosted this event since 2012 to inspire the next generation of food scientists and innovators and give students an opportunity to experience a real-life scenario of working for a food company.
To learn more about the dairy checkoff, visit www.usdairy.com.
DMI press release
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