The UK government has invested £1.4 million in a new innovation hub, enabling the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to expand its expertise in new technologies including precision fermentation.
Nonprofit and think tank the Good Food Institute Europe (GFI Europe) has welcomed the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) advice that the UK government support the development of more nutritious and sustainable plant-based foods.
The first analysis of its kind has revealed that patent publications by European alternative protein innovators have increased by 960% over the last decade.
As Labour prepares to develop a new food strategy, analysis finds that the UK has invested £75 million in developing sustainable new foods – more than half of the amount recommended by a landmark review of England’s food system.
The UK is fast becoming home to an expanding network of research centres dedicated to advancing plant-based, cultivated meat and fermentation-made foods.
A first-of-its-kind analysis has revealed the rapid growth of European alternative protein research – with more than a quarter of all studies published last year amid record funding.
There’s no doubt it’s been a tough few years for the UK’s plant-based sector – in common with other parts of the food and drink industry. But after a rollercoaster of sudden growth followed by struggling sales, there are now signs of stabilisation.
New analysis shows that sales of plant-based foods in six key European countries grew by 5.5% to €5.4 billion last year.
