Gluten-Free Delights: Innovating Traditional Kozunak and Functional Crackers – A Case Study within the E-Food Project

¹ University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
² University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
³ University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
⁴ Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

This paper examines the development and outcomes of the case study Gluten-Free Delights, an interdisciplinary student project implemented within the Erasmus+ initiative E-FOOD: E-learning Tools for Food Technology and Development Education. The project engaged multinational teams of students in the development of a structured Case study for the development of of two novel bakery products — a gluten- free Kozunak, inspired by the traditional sweet bread, and functional crackers with a low glycemic impact. The case study followed a project-based learning framework that integrated product formulation, process development, sustainability appraisal, introductory marketing and financial considerations and analysis of risks and challenges. By combining scientific supervision with digital learning resources, the project supported students in enhancing and strengthening both their digital and technical abilities and wider their technological and marketing knowledge and skills. The resulting formulations, alongside the accompanying digital communication outputs, demonstrate how collaborative and experiential learning can facilitate the creation of health-oriented, market-relevant foods. Moreover, the case study illustrates the capacity of such instructional approaches to contribute to education for sustainable food innovation.