UMH Biotechnology students create date horchata and vegan 'pilota' for the Innobiotec contest

ALICANTE, 4 Apr. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Veguilotes, Horchátil and Belocaldátil are the new healthy products that students of the Degree in Biotechnology of the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche (Alicante) have prepared and that they will present to the Innobiotec 2023 contest.

This event will be held this Wednesday at the Altabix building on the Elche campus. The first prize of Innobiotec 2023 is endowed with 400 euros, sponsored by the Palmeral d'Elx Chair of the UMH, as reported by the academic institution on Tuesday in a statement.

The food presented by the student body is "innovative and attends to sustainability, the use of local raw materials and the concept of 5S food (Healthy, Safe, Tasty, Sustainable and Socially accepted)". Likewise, the elaborations of the students enhance the healthy properties provided by local products.

This year the contest joins the campaign of the Palmeral d'Elx Chair, which has been promoted to promote the comprehensive use of the date from Elche and, specifically, its local variety Confitera; as well as other Valencian raw materials such as tiger nuts, carob or seasonal vegetables.

Specifically, Veguilotes consists of a Valencian-style meatball ('pilota'), which uses an innovative texturing of quinoa with a mixture of native ingredients, where the date in its different parts provides texture and a complementary flavor that gives 'valencianidad' to the product. All this, without neglecting the aspects of sustainability and nutrition.

The vegan pilota has been prepared by the students Cristina Camarasa Buades and Ángel María Prior Peral and is also suitable for celiacs. It is rich in fiber, vitamin D, protein and minerals such as potassium and omega 3 fatty acids.

For its part, Horchátil is a "refreshing, satisfying and energetic" drink, based on horchata, oats and dates, which "perfectly combines Valencian and Elche culture in a single product". This new drink favors the use of local ingredients from kilometer 0, promotes sustainability, the circular economy and favors the sustainable development goals (SDG).

The date horchata has been made by the students Alexandra Castell Pérez and María Navarro Paredes. Its composition is suitable for vegans, celiacs, low in sodium, source of dietary fiber, prebiotic fiber from tiger nuts and dates, vitamin B12, vitamin D, potassium, calcium and phosphorus.

Lastly, Belocaldátil is a biscuit made from quinoa, Elche dates, carob, blueberry and cocoa, covered in chocolate, which gives it an "exotic Italian" touch. This biscuit is made with lactose-free, gluten-free, and added sugar-free products and is rich in natural antioxidants of different kinds that help stop oxidation of both food and the body.

The cookie is clean label ('clean label') natural, rich in dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, which provides the date. The students Pablo Marino Martín and Rossella Palladino have been in charge of making the product, which is also a source of protein.

The jury will be made up of the dean of the Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Pedro Robles Ramos; the deputy director of the Degree in Biotechnology, Gregorio Fernández Ballester; the representative of the Palmeral Chair of Elche María Jesús Lázaro; Elena Sánchez Zapata, representing the collaborating company Surinver; the member of the Association of Cooks and Restaurateurs of the Province of Alicante (AcyRA) Luis Martin Fernández Rodríguez and Miguel Ángel Sánchez Martínez, representing the Association of Date Producers.

This contest is organized by UMH professors José Ángel Pérez Álvarez and Manuel Viuda Martos, with the collaboration of Carmen María Botella Martínez, Nuria Muñoz Tébar and Ángel Calín Sánchez; all of them members of the Department of Food Technology of the Higher Polytechnic School of Orihuela (EPSO).

In addition, the Department of Agri-Food Technology, Ciagro and the Agroalnext/2022/059-ValoraCV Project collaborate in the organization of the event.