Austin, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/18/2014 --StitZii, a revolutionary product designed to remove excess grease, fats, oils, salts and carbohydrates from prepared foods, is pleased to announce that it has become a top-21 finalist in The University of Texas at Austin Food Lab Challenge.

The contest, aimed encouraging the conception and development of sustainable business ventures within the food industry, will award a grand prize of $10,000 to the winner of the challenge, as well as $5,000 funding to the winner of each development category, which include: Healthy Eating; Inputs and Production; Processing, Packaging and Safety; and Storage and Distribution. StitZii is competing in the Packaging and Safety category, showcasing the many benefits of its product in fast food preparation settings.

More than 120 original participants kicked off the challenge earlier in the year and the final selection process will take place during the Food Challenge Showcase on February 14, 2015. As a top-21 contender, StitZii will pitch its product to a panel of judges during the final showcase in an attempt to illustrate its defining benefits and how they can be used to create sustainability within the food industry. The judge’s panel will be made up of Food Lab advisory committee members, as well as industry professionals from the various challenge categories.

“We’re very excited to be among the finalists for this challenge and look forward to proving just how important StitZii can be in the food industry,” said Bradley Farrell, Co-Founder of StitZii. “This opportunity has given us a chance to expose our product to numerous industry players and we hope that the takeaways will be something that really get people thinking about how important a product like this is.”

Showcase Day for the Food Lab Challenge will take place February 14, 2015, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Norman Hackerman Building on the University of Texas campus. The event is open to the public and free of charge.

To learn more about StitZii’s mission to improve personal wellness and reduce environmental waste, please visit http://stitzii.com/

To contact StitZii management for more information on forming a partnership with StitZii, please email press@stitzii.com

For more information about the Food Lab Challenge and its prizes, please visit http://utfoodlab.com/2014-ut-food-lab-challenge/