KANSAS CITY — The team from the University of Minnesota received top honors at the American Society of Baking’s (ASB) Product Development Contest for its ReToast, a sustainable chemically leavened, hard-cookie snack product resembling the shape of a miniature slice of toast.

The team of Brigitta Yaputri, Sonali Raghunath, Steven Cak, and Radhika Bharathi each received $5,000 scholarships for winning the annual competition.

All three teams that made it to the final were awarded a total of $40,000 in scholarships by AIB International.

Each year, ASB, along with Baker’s Oven, hosts a competition for students nationwide to develop new products for the wholesale baking industry. The winners for this year’s competition were announced on the final day of the  ASB’s BakingTech, Feb. 18.

This year’s challenge was sustainability. Requirements included upcycling, as well as that the final product have a shelf life minimum of 14 days at an ambient temperature.

The University of Florida team received second place for its Pokara Wafel. Members included Victor Cedeno, Mario Guadalupe-Daqui, Vicnie Leandre and Dev Mehta. Each student received a $3,000 scholarship.

Students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison came in third with their product, Banana Halos. The team of Mallorie Arndt, Neve Blanz, Jordan Ishizu, and Clair McMonagle each received a $2,000 scholarship.

Kent Van Amburg, ASB’s executive director, ASB, along with Andre Biane, AIB’s chief executive officer, presented the awards to the competition’s winners. Mr. Van Amburg thanked the participants, saying that the teams and the competition itself, “shows what the next generation of baking is all about, and that’s making connections.”