CHICAGO — Students with Texas A&M University took home first place in the 2026 American Egg Board Eggcelerator Lab®’s Product Development Competition with its egg-based functional beverage, Ovivive.
This year’s challenge was to develop inventive beverages that made use of egg’s nutritional benefits and versatility. TAMU students Ikenna Okehie, Muhammad Bilal Haider and Rebeka Saldivar’s drink creation “provides a rich, creamy, dairy-free experience powered by the natural functionality of eggs,” AEB said in the announcement.
“Ovivive stood out because it demonstrates how eggs can play a leading role in the rapidly growing functional beverage category,” Nelson Serrano-Bahri, AEB director of innovation, said. “The team successfully harnessed the natural functionality of eggs to create a creamy beverage without relying on dairy, whey proteins, gums or artificial stabilizers.”
“Fruit-forward flavors and a clean ingredient list also align with growing demand for convenient, nutritious and minimally processed products,” Serrano-Bahri added. “As a high-quality, readily available protein sources, eggs offer a practical alternative to other proteins out there.”
This competition is designed to provide graduate and undergraduate college student teams with the opportunity to use their creativity and inspiration to develop market-ready food and beverage products that use eggs as a main ingredient. From all the entries received, eight finalist teams advanced to the final round, where they also presented oral presentations, written proposals and sensory testing. The top three teams all also received a monetary prize.
The top three teams, their products, and winnings included:
- Texas A&M University, $8,000: Ovivive, an egg-based functional beverage.
- Cornell University, $5,000: Yolked AM, a ready-to-drink adaptogenic egg protein beverage that provides 20g of protein per serving.
- Ohio State University, $3,000: Eggi-Drop, a ready-to-mix bottled protein beverage that features an infusion cap that releases egg protein into a pre-flavored liquid base.
The winners were chosen by a panel of industry leaders in the fields of product development and commercialization, which included: Nelson Serrano-Bahri, AEB; Dana Lawnzak, AEB; Shannon Koski, Culinex; and Michelle Tittl, Egglife Foods.
2027 competition
The theme for next year’s competition has already been announced. It will be “Convenience Without Compromise.” AEB notes that it is challenging students to “develop egg-based innovations that make eating easier through quick preparation, portability or snackable formats without sacrificing taste or nutrition.”
This theme for next year looks to reflect on consumer demand for foods that fit into busy lifestyles and still provide top nutrition, quality and taste.
For more information, and entry details, visit https://www.incredibleegg.org/professionals/eggceleratorlab-crack-it/eggceleratorlabcompetition/.
