Students transform discarded food into award-worthy dishes at UP’s UPCycled showcase

Final-year students from the University of Pretoria's (UP) Department of Consumer and Food Sciences recently treated guests from the food industry, the public, media and academia to a spectacular evening centred around the theme of waste.

The event, named UPCycled, formed part of their final mark and featured students thinking creatively - and deliciously - around wasted food. Presentations included staggering statistics on the amount of food wasted globally, especially during post-harvest and production cycles.

Professor Gyebi Duodo, Head of the Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, welcomed the attendees and said, "The event is anchored around the theme of sustainability, responsible consumption and production, and that this event is a way of thinking which we inculcate in our students because the resources on this planet are finite."

Ozzy Nel, CEO of SA Harvest, congratulated the students on their commitment and reiterated SA Harvest's commitment to the department, and to helping South Africa fight hunger. He said the company helps over 200 beneficiary organisations provide meals to people in need.

"This vision came to life in 2023, when the first UPCycled event went ahead," said Dr Nadene Marx-Pienaar, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Consumer and Food Sciences. "What began as a simple idea of 'waste not want not' evolved into what is today's theme of 'Landfill to Runway'. Beyond creating menus from rescued and repurposed food, the students were also challenged to tackle the very pressing issue of student hunger. Their work reflects not only innovation but deep empathy and a commitment to nourishing not only the planet but the people around us."

Retail Management students developed three unique products, each addressing various areas of waste and student needs. These were branded as:

• STOAT - sweet or savoury oats with "ugly" fruit-based spice mix
• Benefiz - fizzy tabs designed to enhance beverages, made from fruit and vegetable trimmings and enriched with collagen extracted from entrails
• Noods & Moods - this dish featured Noods, a hot and spicy vegetable-filled ramen cup, and Moods, a vegan macadamia nut ice cream with spent coffee grounds and nut chips.

Clothing Management students displayed a variety of outfits made from upcycled bread packets and shopper bags.

Hospitality and Culinary Science students cooked up a meal based on rescued foods and production cut-offs showcasing a menu that reflected a deep commitment to sustainability, food security and zero waste, which contribute to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: Zero Hunger and to SDG 12: Zero Waste.

The menu consisted of:

• Cocktails and Canapes
  • "Whey to glow" glitter lemon mojito or "Hyper Brew" espresso martini
  • Deconstructed caprese sphere, beetroot sushi with black garlic caviar, potato croquette with onion ash, and curried banana cigars
• Starters - Skin and Bone
  • Bone marrow on a lentil soil with fresh citrus salad, lemon pesto and a tuile napkin
• Mains - Aspiration of Freedom
  • Reimagined beef wellington made with a coffee-cocoa mince ragu served with a baked bean purée and a pickled root vegetable salad
• Dessert - Seeds of Hope
  • Amasi cheesecake served with strawberry mousse and rooibos coulis finished with macadamia nut brittle
• To drink
  • Lemon and orange iced tea and iced water

The evening reflected UP's commitment to community engagement as part of the University's teaching and learning curriculum. In line with the event theme, it was hosted at Moja Gabedi, a former unofficial rubbish dump in Hatfield which UP cleared up and replaced with a thriving community garden that allows students to conduct community engagement activities and work with local residents to grow and harvest fresh fruit and vegetables to address student and community hunger.

>> Watch our highlights video