PEI

Food product design a new project for junior high students

Some Grade 8 students in Charlottetown's have been given a crack at food product design in Canada's Smartest Kitchen.

Students study food products from conception to marketing

Presentation of the food product once it was completed was an important part of the project for the students. (Canada's Smartest Kitchen)

Some Grade 8 students in Charlottetown's have been given a crack at food product design in Canada's Smartest Kitchen.

The Queen Charlotte Intermediate students have developed their own food products from scratch as part of a new pilot project at the Culinary Institute of Canada.

The students worked with local suppliers, professional chefs, food scientists and marketers to learn how to transform P.E.I. apples into original, value-added food products ready for market.

The Grade 8 cooking class from Queen Charlotte Intermediate in Canada's Smartest Kitchen. (Krystalle Ramlakhan/CBC)

Queen Charlotte principal Parker Grimmer said the project helped deliver school curriculum in an innovative way. 

"Any chance to be exposed to life beyond our doors, beyond being a 13-year-old, is really excellent," said Grimmer.

"A lot of the students say to themselves now, 'Oh, I can see myself do that.'"

The nine-week project started in October.

Students pitched their products and marketing plans to a panel of judges. The winning product is going to be sold in the school's cafeteria in the new year.

The project will continue next semester with a new group of students at Queen Charlotte. Canada's Smartest Kitchen wants to expand the project province-wide eventually.