Goldies, the innovative energy balls by the local track winner of the NUS FoodTech Challenge (FTC) 2024 are made to delight and nourish. Each ball is a burst of flavours – sweet, savoury, nutty and aromatic, thanks to the wondrous combination of its hero ingredient, honey-fermented turmeric, with walnuts, wheat germ and dried cranberries.
Kyoeun (Kyo), Celina, Hoai, Shun and Chloe, friends from NUS College bonded over their shared interest in the food industry – and their love for food. So, when FTC 2024 swung by and presented them with a problem statement by Nestlé - to develop a packaged, ready-to-consume food or beverage with traditional fermentation processes for Gen Zs in Southeast Asia - the team immediately got to work.
Creating Goldies for the FoodTech Challenge
The team wanted to create a nutritious snack with functional benefits to brain health, gut health and immunity. It also had to be delicious and easy to consume to suit Gen Zs on the go.
After extensive research, the team hit on turmeric, an understated, Southeast Asia spice known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Curcumin, the biologically active compound in turmeric, is primarily responsible for the health benefits behind turmeric. Daily consumption of curcumin improved memory and mood in people with mild, age-related memory loss, according to a study conducted by UCLA researchers.
The NUS Food Lab became the team’s second home for weeks as they experimented with different ingredient ratios and bases to derive optimal taste, texture, shelf life and nutritional impact – before formulating the perfect recipe for Goldies. Through extensive testing, they found that lacto-fermentation of turmeric with honey results in a tenfold increase in curcumin concentration, raising its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.
Using wheat germ as a base ingredient was a conscientious choice as it delivers more protein than oats and is an upcycled ingredient from the traditional wheat milling process.
The 2024 FoodTech Challenge was organised by the NUS Department of Food Science & Technology and the NUS Food Science & Technology Society, and NUS Enterprise, with Nestle’s Research & Development as the main sponsor.
In the final round, the team competed against 15 other teams across Southeast Asia, pitching their product, Goldies, to a judging panel of industry veterans and researchers. They emerged as the local track winner, walking away with a grand prize of S$2000, internship opportunities with Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage manufacturer headquartered in Switzerland, and an opportunity to incubate at THE HANGAR by NUS Enterprise
Kyo shared, “I really appreciate longer challenges like FTC, which lasted around three months. This format provides enough time for participants to bring their concepts to life and test them. After all, anyone can come up with ideas—it’s the execution that matters.”
Leveraging the supportive I&E Ecosystem at NUS Enterprise
Kyo who does the pitching, market research, consumer insights for Goldies shared, “Through this Challenge, we were able to consult with R&D professional and Senior Brand Manager at Nestlé, Tina Liao, who provided positive feedback on the energy ball concept and shared insights on market trends, which influenced our decision. We also sought feedback from other mentors, who supported the energy ball concept as innovative and appealing.”
The team also approached the moonbean.co, a social impact food tech start-up supported by NUS Enterprise. Celina, who tinkers with the food science behind Goldies added, “We got samples of the moonbeam.co’s products to try, and assessed how we can improve ours. Thanks to their guidance, we learnt that true innovation stems from synthesis of people and knowledge.”
What next for our student entrepreneurs?
Since winning the Challenge, the team has done pop ups at NUS College and at a commercial gym and is happy to be able to turn a profit through pre-orders. Celina will be embarking on an internship with Nestlé soon, while Kyo, Hoai and Shun will be heading overseas for the NUS Overseas College (NOC) programme and student exchange. Chloe has since left the team to pursue her own plans.
Kyo shared, “This challenge empowered me to step into a leadership role and taught me that innovation starts with a desire to understand people and create solutions for their needs—a practice I can apply daily.”
Shun, who does the team’s finance and business road mapping said, “This venture fuelled my passion for entrepreneurship and eased my fears about starting out. The greatest reward has been connecting with customers and using their feedback to improve our product.”
Chipping in, Celina added, “I enjoyed the rewarding process of developing a new food product and look forward to turning ideas into impactful solutions .”
Hoai, who designed the Goldies’ packaging concluded, “As some of us head overseas, we’ll take a break from Goldies, but we remain committed. This showed me the impact of health-focused products and inspires me to explore ideas that improve lives.”
