National science award winner Emma has the recipe for success

Emma Smith can combine shared passions for science and food in a new role she secured after completing placement during her Teesside University degree.

Emma, 23, from Hartburn in Stockton, is in the final year of a four-year BSc (Hons) Food Nutrition and Health Science degree.

And it was a project completed during her degree which led her to be named Young Scientist of the Year 2013 by the Institute of Food Science and Technology (Northern England branch).

As well as winning £200 and IFST membership for one year, Emma’s project paper will also be published in Food Science and Technology, the IFST's quarterly journal.

Emma said: 'We worked on a new product development module, focusing on a specific health need, as part of the degree. My project involved developing a new ready to eat product suitable for followers of the FODMAP diet, which excludes some carbohydrates which the body is unable to absorb.

'The FODMAP diet is used in the treatment of sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and has been quite successful. It’s an elimination diet and the exact foods which can’t be eaten depend on the individual.

'I decided to make a gluten free wrap, which was initially difficult as it’s the gluten which makes the wrap malleable and easy to fold the wrap without breaking it.'

Nigel Atkinson, course leader BSc Food and Nutrition, was so impressed with Emma’s project he submitted it to the IFST’s Young Scientist Competition, open to undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Emma said: 'It’s great to think that my work will be published and hopefully one day it could lead to a new product. Gluten-free foods have been growing in popularity and it could be that in the future, more focus is made on specific dietary needs such as for people suffering from IBS.'

She added: 'During the degree I completed a placement at Buckingham Foods at Milton Keynes, where I worked as a development technologist developing ‘food to go’ products for Sainsbury’s. I’ve since been offered a permanent role with them as a development technologist.

'The degree really does prepare us for employment and we’ve completed a lot of work around employability and ensuring we’re prepared for the workplace.

'The placements provide valuable experience of putting what we’ve learned into practice and seeing how everything is applied in industry. The placements are also great for networking and it helps to establish industry contacts.

'My placement at Buckingham Foods put me in direct contact with lots of retailers and more importantly, has also has resulted in a full-time job.'

Simon Hodgson, Dean of the School of Science & Engineering, said: 'We’re really proud of Emma, she’s been a model student and it’s a real achievement to win this national recognition.'

The degree Emma is due to graduate from is now known as BSc (Hons) Food and Nutrition.

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