Unlocking the Global Potential of Clean-Label Potato Starch Beyond Soups & Sauces | DUC North
Are you interested in food innovation, sustainability, market trends or developing new applications? Then this challenge is for you!
We are looking for students who enjoy researching markets, spotting opportunities and turning insights into innovative ideas. This challenge is particularly interesting for students studying:
Food Technology / Food Science
Biotechnology
Chemistry
Chemical Engineering
Business Administration / International Business
Marketing
Innovation Management
Sustainability / Environmental Sciences
Industrial Design / Product Design
Data Science / Business Analytics
You don't need to be an expert in starch! What matters is that you're curious, analytical and creative, and enjoy combining technical insights with market opportunities.
1. Description of the Challenge
Rising consumer demand for clean-label products is driving a shift away from chemically modified starches. Royal Avebe uses innovative alkaline roasting technology to produce thermally inhibited granular starches (PuraMYL® 300, 340, and 700) as sustainable, non-chemical alternatives. While these starches are currently used in applications like soups and sauces, there is limited insight into their broader global market potential and untapped applications.
Analyze global market trends, competitive technologies, and functional requirements for clean-label starches. Your goal is to identify, evaluate, and prioritize novel, high-potential food or industrial applications outside traditional uses where these thermally inhibited starches can deliver strong functional and technical benefits.
2. Expected Outcome
Gain deep insights into current clean-label market trends and deliver a prioritized list of viable new application opportunities backed by technical and market rationale. Findings must be supported by public literature, patents, and market data, and presented in an impactful elevator pitch.
About Royal Avebe
Founded in 1919 by a group of Dutch potato farmers, Royal Avebe started as a cooperative with a simple idea: instead of only growing and selling potatoes, farmers could work together to unlock more value from their crops by producing potato starch themselves.
More than a century later, that cooperative spirit remains at the heart of Avebe. Today, more than 2,000 members and over 1,300 employees work together to develop innovative potato-based solutions for customers around the world. In 2019, Avebe was awarded the Royal Warrant, recognizing its long-standing contribution and ambitions.
The starch potato remains the foundation of everything we do. From field to customer, we develop innovative and sustainable solutions that help accelerate the transition towards a more plant-based future. By combining agricultural expertise, science and innovation, we create value for our members, customers, employees and society.
Our ambition is to unlock more potential from the potato while building a sustainable and transparent value chain — working together, just as our founders envisioned more than 100 years ago.