Cornell's student Food Product Development Team is a finalist in the prestigious Institute of Food Technologists' (IFT) national competition and are hoping for a three-peat.

The Cornell team, which has been one of six finalists for three consecutive years, won the competiton last year and the year before. This year, team members must make sure a "shelf-stable" crepe filled with apple slices lasts on the grocer's shelf for three months and tastes good.

They will defend last year's food competition, won with "Stir-Ins," the coffee-stirring flavorant-cookie stick. In 1995, the Cornell team won with "Pizza Pop-Ups," a stand-up, toaster-ready pizza. This year, the team is entering "Swiss Crepes," a rolled crepe filled with apple slices and cinnamon, fortified with vitamins or a nutritious breakfast or snack.

Winners will be announced June 16 at the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo in Orlando, Fla., held June 14-18.

Could Swiss Crepes be the next technological marvel? Only the judges will tell for sure. Student food scientists had to deal with moisture migration -- so the crepes don't turn soggy -- and the problem of giving an off-the-shelf crepe and the apples a shelf life of three months. But they think they've got the problems licked.

The members of the Cornell Food Product Development Team are:

• Alberto Acedo, graduate student in agricultural economics, from Caracas, Venezuela.
• Ji Hwa Choi, junior, from Lansdale, Pa.
• Henry Cortez, junior, from Reston, Va.
• Kathryn Deibler, graduate student in food science, Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
• John Hayes, junior, from Syracuse, N.Y.
• Cathy Kobayashi, graduate student in food science, from Lewisburg, Pa.
• Sam Nugen, senior, from Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
• Beth Presutti, freshman, from Arlington Heights, Ill.
• Melanie Tudhope, junior, Orwell, Vt.
• Praveen Vadi, graduate student in food science, from Hyderabad, India.
• Catherine Vuong , senior, from Harrison, N.Y.

Five other university teams to compete in finals, with their product names, are:

• The University of California at Davis, "Raspberry Wisdom."
• The University of Georgia, "Apple Crunchers."
• Iowa State University, "Pizza Sweets."
• Kansas State University, "Waf-fills."
• University of Nebraska, Lincoln, "Twist Steak."

Once in Orlando, the teams will give public product presentations, product demonstrations to expert panelists and a poster presentation.