The Greek team from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) won the Gold Award at the European ECOTROPHELIA 2026 competition with its innovative product, “Mushers”, a crunchy mushroom snack rich in protein and fibre.
The competition took place on 18 and 19 October in Paris, as part of the SIAL Paris international food and drink exhibition. Greece’s success marks the country’s seventh award at the competition and its fourth gold medal, highlighting the calibre of Greek scientists and Greece’s strong showing in the European contest.
According to an announcement, the team from the Food Chemistry Laboratory of NKUA’s Department of Chemistry stood out among entries from 17 countries. “Mushers” had previously taken first place in the 16th National ECOTROPHELIA Competition, and impressed the jury at the European final both with the product and its presentation.
Organised nationally by the Federation of Hellenic Food Industries (SEVT) since 2011, the competition has consistently supported the next generation of scientists and promoted the creation of sustainable and innovative food products.
The team from NKUA’s Food Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry stood out among entries from 17 countries with Mushers, an innovative, crunchy mushroom snack rich in protein and fibre. The tasty snack, which had taken first place in the 16th National ECOTROPHELIA Competition, impressed the jury at the European final, while the team stood out with its presentation.
This latest win highlights the significant potential of the next generation of the food and drink industry, which is shaping the future of food through scientific expertise, innovation and respect for the environment.
Among the other awards at this year’s competition, the Silver Award went to L'Atelier Cicer from France, while the Bronze Award was presented to SNEAKY DREAM from Austria. The Entrepreneurial Spirit Prize went to Favé from the United Kingdom, while the Communication Strategy Prize was presented to Cal·litos & Platal·litos from Spain.
As part of ECOTROPHELIA Europe 2026, a round-table discussion titled “From Competition to Market: Turning Student Food Innovation into Reality” was held on 19 October, chaired by SEVT Director General Vaso Papadimitriou.
The discussion brought together executives from the European food and drink industry and members of the ECOTROPHELIA European jury. It focused on the challenges of taking an innovative product from idea to market, as well as how mentoring and the wider innovation ecosystem can support teams as they take their next steps.
Vaso Papadimitriou, Director General of the Federation of Hellenic Food Industries, said: “This latest gold award confirms the potential of the country’s young scientists and the importance of linking scientific expertise with entrepreneurship and the food and drink industry. It helps create the conditions for innovative ideas to develop into products that can meet the needs of the market and society.”