KANSAS CITY — The American Society of Baking (A.S.B.) is raising the stakes for its annual Product Development Competition, held March 1-3 during BakingTech 2020 in Chicago. The organization teamed up with AIB International to provide $40,000 in student scholarships, doubling the amount awarded in 2019.

“Through this partnership with A.S.B. and our contribution to the Product Development Competition, we’re proud to support the next generation of baking talent,” said Andre Biane, president and chief executive officer of AIB International. “For 100 years, we have built our business by serving the baking industry. Our $40,000 contribution to this year’s competition demonstrates that our commitment to the industry continues and has never been stronger.”

The Product Development Competition challenges baking, food science and culinary student teams to create baked foods based on a specific theme and showcase their concepts on stage at BakingTech.

For 2020, entrants were asked to submit products that include novel protein sources such as insects, algae and seaweed. Judges from AB Mauri, Lallemand, Turano Baking and Cain Foods will evaluate the submissions of three finalists. The competition winners each will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship. The second-place team will receive a $3,000 scholarship for each member while the third-place team will take home a $2,000 scholarship for each member. Winners will be announced during BakingTech.