UB students win the Ecotrophelia Spain 2025 award with an alternative sauce to soy sauce

The students of the University of Barcelona, during the ceremony.
The students of the University of Barcelona, during the ceremony.
News | Academic
(12/09/2025)
A team formed by students from the University of Barcelona has won the 16th edition of Ecotrophelia Spain with an innovative proposal: an alternative to soy sauce made from carob, called Noja. Its creators — Cristina Mangas, Júlia Nicolás, Laia González and Núria Martínez, students of the UB’s master’s degree in Food Research, Development and Innovation — will compete for victory in the Ecotrophelia Europe 2025 competition, which will take place in Cologne. 
The students of the University of Barcelona, during the ceremony.
The students of the University of Barcelona, during the ceremony.
News | Academic
12/09/2025
A team formed by students from the University of Barcelona has won the 16th edition of Ecotrophelia Spain with an innovative proposal: an alternative to soy sauce made from carob, called Noja. Its creators — Cristina Mangas, Júlia Nicolás, Laia González and Núria Martínez, students of the UB’s master’s degree in Food Research, Development and Innovation — will compete for victory in the Ecotrophelia Europe 2025 competition, which will take place in Cologne. 

Noja is a sauce made from carob, allergen-free and sustainable. “It is a sustainable and local product, with a lower salt content than the other products and with great versatility. In addition, it is especially designed for people who are allergic to soy or who cannot consume it,” say the UB students. 

Second prize went to the project My Fab Mousse, by a team from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and third prize went to Bubble Pro, by a team from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. 

Now, the UB team’s objective is set on Cologne, but they are not losing sight of the potential commercialization of the product.

Now, the UB team’s objective is set on Cologne, but they are not losing sight of the potential commercialization of the product. “In Ecotrophelia Spain we received valuable recommendations to perfect the sauce, and we want to apply them to present the best version of Noja on an international scale. In the medium term, we would like to develop the idea further and explore possible ways to bring Noja to the market. Our dream is that this sauce can reach every home as a healthy, tasty alternative that is committed to the territory”, they say. 

The Ecotrophelia Spain awards, organized by the Spanish Food and Drink Industries Federation with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, recognize innovative, marketable, sustainable products for human consumption. Students in the final years of university degrees or training programmes related to food, the food industry, innovation, the environment, or health can participate.