Agriculture Students Win Sixth Food Innovation Award
Kasetsart University's Nutra-Creators team won the sixth Conovative Award competition with LANSANA, an anti-inflammatory lasagna blending traditional Lanna curry with Italian noodles and bioactive compounds that retain 90% potency after hea
The sixth Conovative Award 2026 competition, organized by Thai Coconut Public Company Limited, challenged university students to develop nutraceutical foods and beverages with total prize money exceeding 470,000 baht. The winning team, Nutra-Creators from Kasetsart University, created LANSANA, an anti-inflammatory Thai heritage lasagna that merges traditional Lanna curry flavors with Italian-style lasagna noodles. The product incorporates anti-inflammatory compounds—curcumin, gingerol, and piperine—supported by scientific research demonstrating cellular anti-inflammatory effects, along with prebiotic fiber to nourish the digestive system. Using bioactive delivery architecture innovation, the product protects and preserves these active compounds to retain over 90 percent of their potency after heating, ensuring consumers receive full nutritional benefits.
Montri Barringsenah, chief technical officer of Thai Coconut Public Company Limited, noted that the nutraceutical foods and beverages theme challenged students to conduct research and develop new products based on scientific evidence, with the goal of creating genuinely health-promoting foods. He emphasized that modern consumer trends increasingly focus on food nutritional value and expects Thailand to become a major global source of food innovation. The Conovative Award aims to showcase university students' innovation potential beyond the classroom and foster future product development. Many teams incorporated Thai local ingredients such as mango peel extract, oyster mushroom extract, and cashew fruit into their prototypes, contributing positively to Thailand's food industry development.
Of the 11 finalist teams, Nutra-Creators from Kasetsart University won first place with LANSANA, receiving 100,000 baht, a trophy, and an international food innovation study tour. Second place went to KU DINO Team from Kasetsart University for Kham Siam chocolate with miang kam filling, earning 70,000 baht plus 20,000 baht for best presentation. Third place was awarded to Mangi team from Mahidol University for Sparkling MANGI beverage at 50,000 baht. DivaDevour from Srinakharinwirot University won the popular vote award for GrubKaam chromium-enhanced rice seasoning at 30,000 baht.
