Utah State University Team Wins Dairy Innovation Award with High-Protein Pizza

A team of food science students from Utah State University has secured first place in Dairy Management Inc.'s (DMI) New Product Competition. Their winning entry, Athena's Slice, is a high-protein personal pizza with a crust consisting of approximately 85% dairy ingredients. The announcement was made at the American Dairy Science Association's annual meeting in Milwaukee.

The innovative pizza features a crust made from cottage cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, and nonfat dry milk. It is topped with a tzatziki-style sauce, gyro meat, feta cheese, mozzarella, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, onions, and green bell peppers. Each serving provides 30 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber.

The competition challenged participants to develop a dairy-based product that supports bone health, muscle health, and weight management. Utah State's team members, Taelie Kennedy, Angalee Brinkerhoff, and Erynn Chidester, received the Platinum Dairy Innovator Award along with a $10,000 prize.

Team member Taelie Kennedy explained that the idea for a Greek-themed pizza crust using cottage cheese arose from consumer insights highlighting a demand for protein-rich foods. Erynn Chidester noted the surprise of consumers at the protein content of the crust, emphasizing the versatility of dairy ingredients.

Other winners included Cornell University's Melt a Whey, which earned the Gold Dairy Innovator Award and $7,000, and Oregon State University's Protein Pomodoro, which took the Silver Dairy Innovator Award and $4,000.

Marilyn Hershey, chair of DMI, praised the competition for fostering innovation and providing students with real-world product development experience. DMI has hosted the competition since 2012 to encourage emerging food scientists to translate consumer trends into commercially viable products.