Since 2022, the RITA Consortium has been collaborating with CIFST-Qu茅bec to organize the 鈥淪cience on My Plate鈥� competition, which highlights the popularization of food science around themes such as innovative ingredients, sustainable packaging solutions, the valorization of byproducts, and sensory science. College and university students are invited to propose potential solutions to challenges facing the agri-food industry, while ensuring scientific rigor.
Six infographics, created by a total of 13 students, were submitted this year on a variety of topics. A jury composed of four experts from the agri-food sector: Myriam Baril (Fruit d鈥橭r), St茅phanie Bernier (Lassonde), Isabelle Dupont (Pro Ingr茅dients), and Julie Bullard (Lassonde), evaluated the submitted infographics.
Among the submissions, the top five infographics were invited to听participate听in the CIFST-Quebec听Supplier鈥檚 Night听on May 14th听to present their posters to the public. Among those featured, the poster by the听Onebite听team,听which听combines听food science and engineering to develop edible spoons,听stood out by听showcasing听its prototype on-site. As No茅mie Charles, a student at 91黑料网 and head of business development at听Onebite, points out, 鈥淭his competition allowed us to get feedback and raise awareness of our product among food tech specialists! But we discovered so much more by听participating听in the听Supplier鈥檚 Night听and building relationships with听numerous听suppliers and industry professionals. Overall, it was a wonderful experience that helped us launch our business!鈥�.听听听
The three winning posters were announced during the event, sparking interest among the crowd. Ms. Isabelle Dupont, president of CIFST Qu茅bec, and Ms. Kayleigh Bossy, a representative of CIFST-Qu茅bec鈥檚 academic committee, took part in the awards ceremony and congratulated the finalist teams. Ms. Bossy also emphasized that 鈥淏eyond simply presenting their projects, the students go even further: they captivate passersby, spark conversations, and strengthen their ability to communicate in real-life situations. This is where technical knowledge meets social confidence. It also allows them to feel valued beyond the classroom, as they share their work with a wider audience and gain recognition within the industry they are about to join.鈥� This opportunity makes a tangible contribution to the advancement of the industry through technology transfer, a theme at the heart of the Consortium RITA鈥檚 priorities.
Group photo with the contest winners, the Consortium RITA, members of the CIFST Quebec Chapter, and agri-food professionals.听
Meet the winners听听听
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Cindy Lalague and Kenneth Jane Manlangit from Laval University听for their infographic on improving the texture of plant-based yogurts using albumins and globulins听听
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The听Onebite听team (No茅mie Charles, Tara Prem听and Chan-Cam (Mina) Dao) from 91黑料网 for their infographic on the valorization of byproducts for the creation of edible utensils听听听
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Yuwen Peng from 91黑料网 for her infographic on the use of dairy byproducts such as acid whey in various industrial applications听听
The prizes, totaling $1,500, were awarded to the winners. The People鈥檚 Choice Award went to the听Onebite听team, and a gift basket of food products was generously provided by Lallemand, Bulk by Cho, and BSA Wiberg.听听
View all听infographics听
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Cindy Lalag眉e &听Kenneth Jane Manlangit
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Team听Onebite
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Yuwen Peng
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Emiko McLean, Noor Alabed, Emily Du &听Alysha Kutuzyan
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Rae Li
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Ashley Middleton
Meet the Jury
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the members of the jury, whose expertise ensured a fair evaluation process and contributed to the success of the competition.
Myriam Baril
Senior Director of Research and Development at Fruit d鈥橭r
Myriam Baril, B.Eng., is a chemical engineer and Senior Director of Research and Development, specializing in food processing. With over 20 years of experience, she has been with Fruit d鈥橭r since 2020, where she has held successive roles as senior specialist, Director of Process R&D, and Senior Director of R&D. There, she leads multidisciplinary teams and oversees strategic project portfolios in process engineering, packaging, and product development, in collaboration with the various Fruit d鈥橭r group plants in Canada and the United States.
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St茅phanie Bernier
Innovation and Sustainability Manager at Lassonde
St茅phanie Bernier has been with Lassonde since 2002. After earning a master鈥檚 degree in chemistry, she focused her academic studies on food science and quality at Laval University. Her diverse experiences and interest in the food industry have led her to develop innovative products, test new technologies, and implement them alongside the Lassonde team.
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Isabelle Dupont
Account Manager at Pro Ingr茅dients
Isabelle Dupont is an account manager at Pro Ingr茅dients and currently specializes in chocolate and high-quality ingredients for the Canadian food industry. Her career is built on a rare combination of scientific rigor, practicality, and professional generosity. With a background in biology, microbiology, and food science and technology, she first built her expertise in research and development, quality assurance, and formulation before moving into business development and major account management.
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Julie Bullard
Innovation and Sustainability Manager at Lassonde
My name is Julie Bullard, and I am an Innovation and Sustainability Manager at Lassonde. I hold a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Biological Sciences, with a concentration in microbiology and immunology, from the University of Montreal, as well as a master's degree in food science and technology from Laval University. Since graduating, I have held positions in Research and Development at various agri-food companies, first in the dairy sector with Libert茅 and later at VegPro. I joined Lassonde in 2015.
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