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World Leader in Detecting and Regulating Irradiated Food

Summary of the impact

Researchers at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC, University of Glasgow) were the first to develop methods and equipment for screening foodstuffs for irradiation. Their work led to new UK and European standards (BS EN 1788 and BS EN 13751) which provide protection and reassurance to consumers. Professor David Sanderson's laboratory is recognised as the world-leader in the detection of food irradiation. The laboratory is also the only establishment to develop, design and sell photostimulated luminescence (PSL) systems to detect irradiated food. Since 2008 134 laboratories worldwide have taken up these UK-manufactured PSL systems to prevent irradiated ingredients from entering the food manufacturing chain.

Submitting Institution

University of Glasgow

Unit of Assessment

Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Chemical Sciences: Analytical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry (incl. Structural)

Changing labelling policy for food allergic consumers in Europe

Summary of the impact

A 14 month research project funded by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has informed national policy on allergens and food labelling, EU negotiations by DEFRA on Food Information Regulation and Food Standards Agency advice to industry. The project involved the development of a novel method for eliciting consumer views about food labels, the details of which have been communicated by the FSA to relevant government departments. The results of the project have been presented to FSA, at industry events, within academia and allergy charities, while references to the project have been widely circulated on social media and appear on policy and industry websites.

Submitting Institution

Brunel University

Unit of Assessment

Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience

Summary Impact Type

Political

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Immunology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Public Health and Health Services

Mitigation of acrylamide formation in cooked cereal and potato products

Summary of the impact

Research at the University of Reading into the origin of acrylamide, a neurotoxin and probable human carcinogen, in cooked cereal and potato products has provided crucial information for the food industry and government agencies. This has enabled important mitigation strategies to be developed. When acrylamide was unexpectedly discovered in food in 2002, there was no explanation for its origin. Pioneering research at Reading showed that it was formed during heating from naturally-occurring sugars and the amino acid asparagine. Because of this knowledge it was then possible to investigate factors affecting acrylamide formation and develop methods of mitigation. Subsequently investigations were undertaken worldwide, including work at Reading, to minimise the problem.

Submitting Institution

University of Reading

Unit of Assessment

Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Chemical Sciences: Organic Chemistry
Biological Sciences: Genetics
Medical and Health Sciences: Nutrition and Dietetics

Providing an evidence base for the FDA ban of fluoroquinolone antibiotic use in animals

Summary of the impact

Research by Professor Laura Piddock at the University of Birmingham has shown that the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in veterinary medicine can select for antibiotic resistance in certain strains of bacteria which then present a potential risk to human health. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are widely used in human medicine to treat bacterial infections. For those patients with chronic bacterial gastroenteritis and/or an invasive infection, fluoroquinolone antibiotics are the empiric treatment of choice by GPs; resistance to these agents represents a large public health risk. The outcomes of the research have been used by policy makers to define the human risks of food borne infection from antibiotic resistant strains and have led to the review and amendment of international policy on the use of antibiotics in food producing animals, in particular the World Health Organisation (published outside of the review period) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The research described has had a direct impact on international policy and the ban on the use of certain antibiotics has had an impact on the levels of fluoroquinolone resistance in bacteria isolated from food producing animals, reducing the transmission of resistant strains to humans.

Submitting Institution

University of Birmingham

Unit of Assessment

Clinical Medicine

Summary Impact Type

Health

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Medical Microbiology

The impact of food safety research on knowledge exchange, food safety practice and economic prosperity in the Welsh food industry

Summary of the impact

This case study is concerned with the impact of our research on small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food industry in Wales. Specifically, the preliminary impact is about the development of a Knowledge, Innovation and Technology Exchange (KITE) programme. Set up in 2008, it was based on £3.9 million initial investment from the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Through sustained knowledge exchange via the KITE programme with 31 food manufacturing businesses in Wales there have been two main types of direct impact with benefits to end-users. First, there have been improvements to food production and food safety management systems in many of those businesses. Second, there has been increased economic prosperity, by March 2013 resulting in £27 million of increased sales, £540k of waste reduction within processing, and the creation and safeguarding of 1,072 jobs.

[Throughout this Impact Case Study, references to the underpinning research are numbered 1 to 6; sources to corroborate the impact are numbered 7 to 16.]

Submitting Institution

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Unit of Assessment

Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Summary Impact Type

Economic

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Business and Management

Development of a new prebiotic product (Bimuno) - from research to retail.

Summary of the impact

Prebiotics are dietary ingredients selectively fermented by populations of gut bacteria seen as beneficial to health. Following the development of the concept of prebiotics by Professors Glenn Gibson and Marcel Roberfroid, research at the University of Reading has developed, pilot- manufactured and tested in humans, a novel prebiotic that shows greater selectivity for beneficial gut bacteria. The prebiotic has been commercialised through formation of a new Small Medium Enterprise (SME) company, Clasado. A range of functional food product formulations of the prebiotic is available over the counter at a variety of supermarket and high street outlets in the UK, as well as products containing it as a branded ingredient in North America. Research on Bimuno conducted at Reading has therefore had impact on human health through alleviation, or attenuation, of symptoms of common gut disorders and on the economy through the formation of a new SME company.

Submitting Institution

University of Reading

Unit of Assessment

Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Clinical Sciences, Neurosciences, Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Household Food Security in the Global North

Summary of the impact

Building on a background in nutritional science, Professor Dowler's research on social and policy aspects of food, nutrition and household food security has created impact at local, national and international levels. Her membership of key national expert advisory panels and councils, both official and voluntary, has allowed the research to inform policy-making as well as print and broadcast media debates on many issues, notably the consequences of low wages and benefit cuts on the diet of low-income households; the role played by food banks in relieving food poverty and the benefits of local food networks in securing community-level food resilience.

Submitting Institution

University of Warwick

Unit of Assessment

Sociology

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services
Economics: Applied Economics

Protecting the Integrity of the Global Feed-food Supply Chain: Detecting and Preventing Chemical Contamination

Summary of the impact

This research has culminated in a unique risk-based collaborative system enabling industry to prevent supply chain contamination. Elliott's team leads international work developing and implementing innovative methods to detect multiple chemical contaminants in food and feed, one of the greatest challenges facing industry and regulators worldwide due to global supply chains. Elliott's research resulted in the worldwide implementation of multiple ISO accredited procedures; detection systems based on this research are sold in >50 countries. The outcomes include enhanced protection of consumer health, greater business income and improved reputations of industry and regulators globally. Licensing/royalties streams support translational research in the Institute (~£200,000).

Submitting Institution

Queen's University Belfast

Unit of Assessment

Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Chemical Sciences: Analytical Chemistry
Technology: Medical Biotechnology
Medical and Health Sciences: Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Creation of new ingredients for the food industry

Summary of the impact

The University of Nottingham (UoN) has developed two novel food-allowed additives based upon xanthan gum. The generation of these structurally modified forms allow xanthan to be used more efficiently in food manufacturing applications and provide nutritional and health benefits. The invention of the new xanthans benefits the global food industry by facilitating new product development and formulation.

Submitting Institution

University of Nottingham

Unit of Assessment

Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Chemical Sciences: Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry
Engineering: Chemical Engineering, Food Sciences

Front-of-pack nutrition labelling and allergen labelling policy development

Summary of the impact

Food, Consumer Behaviour and Health Research Centre (FCBH) at Surrey has conducted a number of studies on how people make use of, and understand the labels on food products. These studies have been used by UK and EU regulators in forming labelling policies and constructing food information regulations.

The work at Surrey and collaborative work with European colleagues has examined a range of domains relevant to food governance for health and impacted specifically on front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling and allergen labelling policy development.

Submitting Institution

University of Surrey

Unit of Assessment

Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Nutrition and Dietetics, Public Health and Health Services

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