A group of Mississippi State University students developed a possible solution to nutritional deficiencies facing the state's schoolchildren.
The MSU Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion students pitched a business idea to produce a cost-effective, sweet potato-based powder named "Panacea."
The trial run of the prototype product used culled sweet potatoes that could be mixed with ingredients like applesauce or yogurt and sold to state cafeterias to increase the nutritional value of school lunches.
The team was one of 11 groups from state universities that participated in the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Social Business Challenge last month.
"If you've ever gone to any school cafeteria, one of the first things you're going to see in the trash can is fruits and vegetables," team member Morgan Von Staden said. "There is a large need for an effective way to get children to eat fruits and vegetables instead of throwing them away."
To be produced on a commercial level, Panacea would contain mostly Mississippi products, according to a MSU Extension Service news release. Around 30 percent of the state's harvested sweet potatoes do not meet size, shape, color or appearance standards.
"A lot of the things we do in product development are for real world application," Von Staden said. "It's not for hypothetical use. We create the product and run tests on it. We could very well sell the product. We've had two companies express some interest in our pilot plans."
Before expanding to county school districts, the prototype would be developed for on-campus use, she said.
"It could be a university-run project and the department could work from that," Von Staden said. "The other plan would be if someone came to use and wanted to by the license for it."
The culled vegetables have the same nutritional value as their marketable counterparts.
"How this product differs is that you're going to have applesauce that includes spinach, kale, sweet potatoes and various other fruits and vegetables that kids would otherwise think they don't like," team member Hector Portillo said. "When they find out those items are in the applesauce, they'll have fewer inhibitions about trying other products. Along with getting health benefits, it would instill confidence in the kids and allow them to make better health choices outside school lunches."
The project aligned with the standards set by the federal, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. The marketability of the pilot product could appeal to future school administrators.
"There are similar products to Panacea already on the market, but none would be able to compare to the estimated prices of 28 cents per serving," team member Liz Ivey said. "While the product would cost slightly more than the amount the FFVP offers to schools, we feel any extra would be well spent when more students achieve their daily nutritional goals."
Schools in the state ordered 32,927 cases of 19 different Mississippi state-grown products totaling $1.03 million for the 2014-2015 school year. The average per meal expenditure for state public schools in the last two years was $2.84, according to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce.
To offset food security issues for students on campus, MSU established the Food Security Network in 2014 along with the Block By Block meal donation program to help curb hunger on campus, an often unseen aspect to most college campuses, MSU Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Community Engagement Meggan Franks said.
"The person next to you in class might be dressed just like you but had chosen not to eat in a few days in order to pay a utility bill," Franks said. "Not every student has resources back home. That's hard for people to understand. Students have fought to get to where they are in college. Sometimes students don't have anything left. That uncertainty about not having security is a huge problem for a portion of students across campuses all over the country."
Through the Block By Block Program, over 150 students in need received meals through the Perry Cafeteria and Fresh Food Company at MSU since 2014.
With the help of AmeriCorps VISTA members, the program grew after students realized there was a need on campus. All upperclassmen can donate extra meals to the network. The group also provides access to information for those looking to use area food pantries.
"The more we educate students, the more likely they are to see the warning signs of a student who is struggling," Franks said. "That improves our chances of helping students and continuing to expand the program."