Say what you will about the youth of this generation, but they certainly seem to be stepping up to the plate to address global issues. In this case, a team of student researchers actually did focus specifically on “the plate” at the annual Institute of Food Technologists conference.







Each year, this conference brings together premier food scientists and developers from around the world to share their latest research and innovations and compete against their peers.





As a testament to the growing interest in plant proteins, an animal-free burger developed by McGill food science students snagged a first-place win in one of the gathering’s highly competitive matchups. The burger, which its creators have named Rephyll, is a nutritional powerhouse designed to satisfy veg lovers and carnivores alike, as well as the growing demographic of “flexitarians” who consume less meat but don’t eschew it entirely.





This burger has some impressive stats, packing 65 percent of the USDA-recommended daily veggie requirement for adults while maintaining the sensory experiences of cooking and consuming a beef burger, from the red-to-brown color change to the taste and texture.





Patrick Lui explained his team’s mindset to the McGill Reporter :





Some members of the team are flexitarians themselves, while others quite enjoy meat. As food and nutrition scientists, part of our job is to follow the latest consumer trends, one of them being the rapidly growing flexitarian market. We settled on targeting flexitarians after thorough market research and statistical analyses, just as they do in the food industry.





The Rephyll team isn’t stopping with this one win; its looking to get funding for broad distribution. Be on the lookout for updates on this talented team soon!





To learn more about how The Good Food Institute supports food science innovation like Rephyll, visit our website .





Image via Rephyll

