NZ International Science Festival 2023

And just like that, the NZ International Science Festival for 2023 is over. Food Waste Innovation was privileged to participate in the Science Expo and host an Upcycled Food Workshop.

As part of the festival, the University of Otago organised a giant Science Expo bringing science from departments and research groups to the public.

This year, Food Waste Innovation focused on food sustainability and reducing food waste, using the lifecycle of oat milk as an example. To demonstrate the concept of upcycling as a strategy for reducing food waste, we offered a zero-waste oat milk ice cream. The ice cream was made by University of Otago Food Scientists using homemade oat milk with the oat pulp (a by-product of the oat milk process) used to make oat pulp cones.

Participant feedback: “Informative, hands-on, applicable to daily life, fun, learnt a lot.”

We also had our popular smoothie bike, which was a hit among kids and parents. They could pedal to turn brown bananas into a smoothie, giving them a new life.

Furthermore, FWI’s Upcycled Food Lab hosted a 2-hour Upcycled Food Workshop, which attracted 28 members of the public. The workshop focused on dynamic food categories, specifically plant-based milks and upcycled food. Participants were divided into six groups, each assigned a different plant-based milk. They had the opportunity to make their own plant-based milk and use the pulp (usually considered waste) to create an upcycled product. To foster a sense of community, each group shared a portion of their milk, allowing every group to create their own upcycled product. The workshop resulted in a variety of products, such as almond meal vegan gluten-free crackers to vegan coconut pulp pancakes.

Participant feedback: "9/10 - Loved it! The workshop was both fun and educational, making it a great experience for families. We were pleased with the overall concept and execution of the workshop.”

We would like to thank the NZ International Science Festival for providing a platform to engage the public in food science and our efforts to create a more sustainable food future!