Queensland vegan baby formula takes top spot in world innovation awards

A Queensland vegan baby formula developed by a former rugby league player and his wife has shaken up the global market to take out an international innovation award.

A vegan baby formula hailing from Queensland has shaken up the global market to take out an international innovation award.

Former rugby league player turned businessman Selasi Berdie and his wife Jen identified a gap in available baby formulas when their first child Elias was born.

They discovered there were no plant-based, organic formulas available in Australia or overseas which gave rise to Sprout Organic.

The Gold Coast couple spent seven years developing the product against the rigorous standards of Australia, the only country in the world that places legal limits on certain undesired elements.

And within months of Sprout’s launch in June 2021, the formula this week was announced as a winner in the World Food Innovation Awards.

Jenna and Selasi Berdie with their son Kingston, 3, with their international award-winning vegan baby formula, Sprout Organic. Picture: Nigel Hallett

A judging panel considered 272 entries from 22 countries across 25 categories, before naming the vegan-certified formula Best Children’s Product.

“We’re incredibly humbled to have received this award,” Mr Berdie said.

“It’s a true validation of the last seven years of hard work in developing such a needed product, and we are so pleased to be able to provide parents across the world with this choice.”

Mr Berdie is also behind BSKT Wholefoods, CMBT Nutrition, and the world’s first vegan soft serve ice-cream Cocowhip.

He believes his background in food science and product development, and his wife’s design gave them the confidence to tackle their most recent challenge.

Mr Berdie said the award provided a hallmark of success for Sprout.
“For our team at Sprout, it’s a sign that we’re on the right path so we’ll keep pushing forward with innovative ingredient and packaging solutions, every step of the way,” he said.

Director of Sprout Nadia Schilling said while soy formulas had been on the market for years, soy was among the eight most common allergens in the world.

She said children with an allergy or intolerance to dairy proteins were also likely to have similar reactions to soy proteins.

“For those who choose a plant-based diet, soy formulas on the market today still contain animal derived ingredients, and are also not recommended for babies under six months,” she said.

The World Food Innovation Awards are a celebration of innovation across every category of the global food industry.