Momodoro won first place in the 3rd edition of the Innovation Prize – Mediterranean Diet, awarded on Sunday as part of the XII Mediterranean Diet Fair, in Tavira. The project stands out for creating crispy snacks for children and babies, enriched with macroalgae produced in Portugal. The company was founded by young food engineers graduated from the University of Algarve and aims to combine nutrition, innovation and enhancement of national marine resources.
The ceremony was promoted by the Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) of Algarve, in partnership with the Municipality of Tavira, the Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo do Sotavento Algarvio and the Associação In Loco. This edition received 13 applications, with proposals that used products and resources associated with the Algarve territory, including carob, strawberry tree, honey, figs and algae. This was the first edition open to the entire community.
The second prize was awarded to DreamGuru with the Carob Tea project (ALKARUB), which aims to give a new food use to an agricultural resource characteristic of the Algarve. The third place distinguished GreenCoLAB with AlgaeBeer, an American Pale Ale craft beer produced with microalgae from the Portuguese coast, including from Ria Formosa. Special distinctions of 250 euros were also awarded to the projects Bees In Tube, Medronho in a Bottle and Nova Vida – Neuza Sermain, which presented, respectively, reusable cotton cloths with beeswax, a carbonated drink with strawberry tree brandy and an artisanal glue based on carob.
The prize received over 1,500 votes from the public and the partners advocated innovation as a driving force for regional development. José Apolinário, president of CCDR Algarve, framed the prize within the regional strategy for promoting innovation and competitiveness, highlighting the potential of blue biotechnology and applied research. The official also emphasized the importance of cooperation between regional entities in enhancing endogenous resources and promoting entrepreneurship.
