CHICAGO — In preparation for its upcoming annual conference, BakingTECH 2026, the American Society of Baking (ASB) divulged the three teams that earned their way to the top of this year’s Product Development Competition (PDC), sponsored by the National Honey Board.
The student teams hail from:
– Cal Poly Pomona
– Cornell University
– Kansas State University
PDC finalists are recognized for their product innovation, technical skill, and use of honey as a functional ingredient and natural sweetener. They will compete by bringing their final products to the main stage at BakingTECH 2026, set for February 17–19 at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk.
Competitors will present their product, network with baking industry professionals and compete for part of the $20,000 prize pool.
In 2025, Madeline Murphy and Nicholle Tan, juniors at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, received the top honors for their HoneyCrunch product, which used honey and lavender to put a creative spin on brownie brittle.
