Top College Bowl Teams to Test Food Knowledge in Trivia Competition at IFT FIRST

CHICAGO — The Institute of Food Technologists Student Association (IFTSA), a student-governed community of members of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), announced the College Bowl team trivia regional champions who will compete to be champion at IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo:

• Pacific Southwest Champion: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
• Pacific Northwest Champion: Brigham Young University
• North Central Champion: University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Southeast Champion: University of Georgia
• South Central Champion: University of Arkansas
• Central Atlantic Champion: The Pennsylvania State University
• Midwest Champion: The Ohio State University
• North Atlantic Champion: Cornell University

Since 1985, the IFTSA College Bowl Competition, which features teams of four competing in a trivia-based environment, has tested the knowledge of students in the following areas: foods analysis and quality assurance; food chemistry; food laws and regulations; food safety, toxicology and microbiology; nutrition food packaging; food processing and engineering; IFT knowledge; food history and trivia biotechnology; carbohydrates, cereal and grain products; culinology and baking; sensory and consumer science; dairy products; fruit and vegetable products; meat, fish, poultry and egg products; alcoholic and nonalcoholic products; and the history of foods and food processing.

“For nearly 40 years, one of the highlights of IFT FIRST has been the College Bowl competition, where some of our top food science students test their knowledge against their IFTSA peers and potential future colleagues,” said Christina Ginardi, director of academic engagement at IFT. “Each finalist has a rich history in the food and beverage space, producing some of our top food leaders across academia, government and industry, and I am excited to see which team ends up on top this year.”

Each finalist team receives partial reimbursement for team travel and registration to IFT FIRST. This year, IFT FIRST is being held July 14-17 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

First place receives $1,000 and second place receives $750. The finals are held live during the IFTSA Closing Ceremony on Tuesday, July 16. Last year, Clemson University defeated the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the finals.

To register for IFT FIRST, visit https://www.iftevent.org/attend/registration. Student members receive a discount to IFT FIRST. To learn more about becoming a student member, email membershipinfo@ift.org.