The Future of Food Matters to CAFRE
April 26, 2023
On 14th March, 2 Food Technologists from the College of Agriculture Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) attended the first ‘Food Matters Live: Tastes of Better’ event held in London’s Kia Oval Stadium.
This was an immersive event, with the opportunity to taste and experience first-hand latest innovations shaping the future of food and nutrition. There were technical presentations and tasting menus by leading companies Beneo, IFF, Kemin, MycoTechnology and Sweegen, where they showcased innovative ingredient solutions.
Key themes at the centre of the event focused on the need to help solve some of the challenges that manufacturers and brands currently face in food innovation, while meeting consumer demand for products that deliver on taste, convenience, sustainability, and affordability.
Themes were based around current lifestyle trends, such as:
- Sustainable/hybrid foods
- Better-for-you solutions
- Allergens and free from
- Natural and clean label solutions
- Flavours and colours
- Nutrition and functional nutritional solutions in food and beverages
The event brought together manufacturers, brands, retail and foodservice from private companies, as well as people from government bodies across the UK, and focused on being a team learning and networking experience.
Commenting on the event, Janice McNutt, CAFRE Meat Technologist, said:
“This was a hugely beneficial opportunity, allowing me to develop my knowledge further in alternative proteins and meat-free solutions. The technical presentations were well-structured, offering a practical approach to demonstrate the versatility of products on offer, and how these can be used in a wide range of applications.”
Adding to this, Holly Elkin, CAFRE Dairy Technologist, remarked:
“The atmosphere on the day was brilliant! I gained a wide-range of knowledge in various areas, finding it especially interesting to hear of new ingredients that offer plant-based solutions, while also being clean-label and more sustainable. Since attending the event I have contacted one of the presenting companies to get samples for use in product development trial work. I hope to be able to share this knowledge with both NI food industry clients and across the wider food technology branch here at CAFRE.”
Attending technical training courses and events help to enhance our continuous professional development and support standards within work areas across the Food Technology Branch, which promotes confidence in stakeholders that staff are competent and can provide the guidance and support needed in an ever-changing environment.