Minnesota Students Win Dairy Competition

Minnesota Students Win Dairy Competition DAIRY EQUIPMENT & IDEAS Yay-tøst a whey-based spread developed by University of Minnesota dairy science graduates isn’t available on store shelves But as the 2024 winner of Dairy Management Inc ’s New Product Competition one judge noted it “was very delicious and totally new for the U S market and they made an excellent use of co-products ” “They landed on a gold mine ” says Dr Jayendra Amamcharla faculty advisor for the U of M team “They brainstormed ideas I tried to guide them and make sure the idea was practical to what can be made ” The dairy-based product also needed to meet the competition theme to promote good gut joint and bone health With several dairy-based bioactive ingredients Yay-tøst checked all the boxes with fiber protein and calcium says Dr Rohit Kapoor a DMI product research team member “It competition gives students across the U S a platform to get their creative juices flowing and develop innovative products for the dairy industry It gives them a lot of training on how to develop products and get them commercialized ” says Kapoor “The hardest step is coming up with an idea that’s not out there and is feasible ” says Abrielle Schnurr U of M team captain She split the $10 000 prize with team members Suchismita Roy Nghi Huynh and Anandu Chandra Khanashyam The product is inspired by a traditional Norwegian whey-based cheese with a caramelized flavor It’s known as gjetost but the spelling isn’t familiar so the team decided to anglicize it to Yay-tøst The name is easier to say catchy and fun “We want consumers to say ‘Yay!’ when they have Yay-tøst ” Schnurr says Her team experimented with ingredients to make it a smooth and tasty spread “We tried at least 10 different formulations ” Schnurr says working weekends in the university’s teaching lab kitchen “It’s similar to a flavored cream cheese with a light sweet caramel/cinnamon flavor ” They relied on feedback from Amamcharla and other students until they got the right taste and texture “Taste-wise it was great ” Kapoor says “There are multiple occasions to consume it on toast crackers with apples ” The squeeze tube packaging also stood out in the competition “In Europe everything is in a tube It’s good for sustainability ” Schnurr says Research led them to a French manufacturer to make the aluminum tubes lined with food-safe varnish that can be recycled The entire process from product development to networking with suppliers to packaging presents challenges and lessons that mimic jobs in the industry “Companies seek them contestants out because of the actual hands-on experience ” Kapoor says Schnurr agrees noting that being part of the competition looks good on a resume as she seeks a job on the ingredients side of dairy industry product development All team members helped develop Yay-tøst and gained experience in product development and teamwork While no one currently has plans to market Yay-tøst an entrepreneur could do it in the future Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Dairy Management Inc 10255 W Higgins Rd Suite 900 Rosemont Ill 60018 ph 847-803-2000; www usdairy com

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