UMass Amherst Food Science Students Whipping Up New Flavors for Fifth Annual Ice Cream Competition

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UMass Amherst Food Science Students Whipping Up New Flavors for Fifth Annual Ice Cream Competition

DATE:         Wednesday, May 1, 2019
TIME:          4-6 p.m.
WHAT:        Tasting and Judging for the Fifth Annual UMass Amherst Food Science-
                   Maple Valley Creamery Ice Cream Competition
WHERE:     Integrative Learning Center, Room 120, 650 N. Pleasant St., University of Massachusetts Amherst

For their capstone project in a product development course, six teams of UMass Amherst food science students, most of them seniors and food science majors, will have their newly developed ice cream flavors tasted and judged by Maple Valley Creamery representatives and a panel of culinary professionals.

The winning flavor will be produced by Maple Valley Creamery in Hadley and sold in local markets, branded with a UMass Amherst logo. 

The product development course is taught this year by Matthew Steffens, a UMass Amherst food science alumnus. This year’s judges include Laura Caporale, research and development technologist at Gorton’s Seafood and UMass Amherst 2011 food science graduate; Robert J. Conlin, executive chef of The Farm Table; Taylor Jacobs, general assignment reporter for Western Mass News; Bruce Jenks, owner of Maple Valley Creamery; Nick Joseph, chef/owner of the Bistro Box; Mark Krause, owner of Esselon Café; Otto Livingston, executive chef of the Bistro Box; Kristin Mayer, general manager of Maple Valley Creamery; and Elizabeth Walsh, kitchen manager of The Farm Table.   

Attendees will be able to sample the ice cream, featuring such innovative flavors as chai, blueberry lemon bar, churro cheesecake with graham crackers and nonalcoholic red wine dark chocolate.