Self-Heating Plant-Based Beef & Rice Box Wins ProVeg Food Innovation Challenge

ProVeg has announced the winners of its fifth annual Food Innovation Challenge, with the first-place prize going to a self-heating plant-based food box containing “Hanwoo beef”, rice, and vegetables. The invention was created by students from Australia’s Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the Netherlands’ Wageningen University, and was developed on behalf of Korean company CJ Foods. Four other teams received a $1000 prize for their innovative plant-based food products, such as plant-based chocolate, lamb, sticky seafood rice meal, and 3D-printed plant-based octopus legs.

The competition, which received 452 proposals from 151 universities, focused on creating sustainable and convenient alternatives to traditional meat-based foods. Entries used innovative local ingredients and explored new markets, with an emphasis on reimagining local dishes. The Food Innovation Challenge has helped to foster collaboration between students from different regions and accelerate the development of sustainable foods, showcasing the creativity and determination of students from around the world.