This is an annual international competition that honors advancements in student food packaging development. Impacts of participating in and/or winning this competition include:

• Participants will solve real-life problems or needs (e.g., food waste reduction).
• Participants will enhance their knowledge about specific problems that relate to both food and packaging (e.g., development of packaging for a new food product).
• Students will apply knowledge they have gained within the classroom.
• Participants will improve their teamwork skills.
• Participants will improve presentation skills.
• Participants will gain exposure and prestige.

The Challenge

Develop a packaging solution to address a problem or need related to food packaging from any of the following points of view (not limited to): food science, engineering, chemistry, marketing, design, legal, and education. Examples of possible topics are listed within the downloadable guidelines.

Show us your innovation and creativity based on current or future packaging needs!

Participants

Eligibility & Teams

• All participants must be IFT student members
• Group or individual submissions are allowed
• Teams may be undergraduate students, graduate students, or both together
• Students from different (or the same) universities around the globe can collaborate

Entry Process

Entry forms will be accepted until April 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m. CT. Winners will be notified via e-mail prior to IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo.

Awards

Monetary prizes of $1000, $750, and $500 will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners respectively. The Food Packaging Division may also recognize winners in additional ways, such as via newsletters, presentation, or social media.

Judges & Judging Criteria

A panel of experts in food packaging including academic and industry experts will judge the entries. Judges should be IFT Food Packaging Division members.

The submission will be evaluated on the following aspects: writing clarity and organization, ability to address the challenge, feasibility, creativity, implementation plan, value creation, target users and market adoption, spelling and grammar.