ILLINOIS (RFD) — Inventors of a new post-harvest wash for fresh vegetables and a kitchen appliance that provides fresh lettuce came away winners of a national competition known as the Food Disruption Challenge. The Chicago-based Institute of Food Technologists sponsored the contest. Judges picked Austin-based En Solucion and its new fresh vegetable wash for the top prize. Kenton Harmer is the company’s C-E-O;

The challenge’s “People’s Choice” award went to Evansville, Indiana-based Heliponix. Company C-E-O Scott Massey says they plan to target northeast Illinois later this year to sell the company’s GroPod. It’s a hydroponic-vegetable and fruit-growing kitchen appliance;

It was the second year for the IFT contest. The two food-sector companies received $30-thousand dollars in prize money.