TO BE PUBLISHED March 2027
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This conference will consider next steps for food innovation in the UK, including priorities for investment and production, routes to market and the future of food regulation as emerging technologies move closer to commercial use. Areas for discussion include priorities for research and development, the prospects for precision fermentation and cell-cultivated products, decisions on investment and adoption by food manufacturers, the future of novel foods authorisation, consumer confidence, and the implications for farming and food supply chains.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to examine the next stages of development and commercialisation, including implications of the proposed UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement. The prospect of EU authorisations replacing the current GB authorisation arrangements for novel foods has prompted concerns among businesses and applicants, recognised by regulators, about products already authorised, applications awaiting decisions, and the future of investment in UK food innovation. Delegates will assess priorities for the transition, including the treatment of applications in progress, the scope for UK regulatory decisions, and what businesses need from the final arrangements to plan with greater certainty.
The conference will also consider next steps for the assessment and authorisation of emerging food technologies, including priorities arising from the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland's Cell-Cultivated Products Sandbox as it approaches completion. The programme has been developing guidance on applying existing food safety requirements to products grown from animal cells, alongside support for applicants preparing submissions. Delegates will examine remaining uncertainties over safety evidence, production requirements and assessment processes, the scope for improving the timeliness and predictability of authorisations, and what further regulatory work may be needed. The agencies' June 2026 assessment of emerging food innovations will inform consideration of research priorities and the differing prospects for technologies approaching commercial use.
Alongside these regulatory developments, delegates will consider factors influencing investment and commercial decisions across the food sector, including the costs and practical demands of scaling up production and the requirements of manufacturers, ingredient buyers and retailers. Discussion will assess prospects for cost-competitive production, access to finance and manufacturing facilities, and the evidence needed to inform decisions about new products and processes. Further areas for discussion include consumer expectations around safety, nutrition, price and production methods, and the implications of emerging technologies for farmers and established supply chains, including where these developments might offer benefits or give rise to concerns.
Emerging technologies, research & evidence
The conference will assess progress across emerging food technologies, including the applications approaching commercial use and the scientific and technical questions still to be resolved. Delegates will examine priorities for R&D, the evidence needed to assess different approaches, and where further work may be most valuable.
Areas for discussion include:
- technologies & applications:
- precision and biomass fermentation - cell-cultivated products - controlled-environment agriculture
- earlier-stage approaches, including molecular farming and gas fermentation
- research priorities: technical barriers between research, testing and viable products - gaps in scientific and technical evidence - priorities for further development and commercial application
- evidence & comparison:
- comparing new and existing production methods - energy and resource use
- nutritional characteristics and product quality - assessing the evidence behind claims about sustainability, nutrition and food security
- collaboration & funding:
- partnerships between research institutions, developers and food businesses
- access to public funding and innovation programmes - research infrastructure and skills - priorities under the National Vision for Engineering Biology
Industry adoption, manufacturing & commercialisation
The agenda will examine the practical and commercial considerations influencing investment in emerging food technologies and their adoption by manufacturers and ingredient users. Delegates will consider the prospects for moving beyond trials and demonstrations, including the costs and risks of production at scale and the requirements of businesses considering new products and processes.
Areas for discussion include:
- adoption by food businesses:
- potential applications for manufacturers and ingredient users - where new ingredients might replace or complement existing products
- product performance, quality and pricing - integration into manufacturing operations and supply chains
- investment & risk: access to late-stage finance - costs and risks of first-of-a-kind manufacturing - investment certainty - different assessments of commercial viability and future demand
- infrastructure & production:
- access to pilot and demonstration facilities - specialist equipment and contract manufacturing
- energy and feedstock requirements - production costs, consistency and reliability at scale
- skills & digital systems:
- engineering, food science and manufacturing skills - AI and digital systems in process control, efficiency and quality assurance
- validation of new processes and food-safety requirements
- farming & supply chains:
- implications for livestock and dairy producers - potential roles for farmers in supplying feedstocks
- effects on established processors and supply chains - opportunities for collaboration and diversification
Regulation, market access & consumer confidence
Further sessions will examine the future of novel foods authorisation and implications of proposed changes to GB authorisation arrangements. Delegates will consider priorities for regulatory decisions and transition, alongside the requirements and concerns of businesses bringing products to market and those purchasing, using or consuming them.
Areas for discussion include:
- authorisation practicalities:
- safety evidence and application requirements for novel foods - quality of submissions and causes of delay
- assessment timescales and predictability - access to specialist expertise and regulatory capacity
- regulatory priorities:
- applying guidance from the Cell-Cultivated Products Sandbox, including requirements for production and safety assessment - remaining uncertainties for applicants
- priorities emerging from the Market Authorisation Innovation Research Programme - pre-application engagement and further regulatory work
- UK-EU SPS agreement:
- implications for existing GB authorisations and applications in progress - transitional arrangements - data protection and market exclusivity
- future regulatory responsibilities - investment decisions and planning during the transition
- international regulation & trade:
- differences between regulatory regimes - use of scientific evidence across jurisdictions
- requirements for entering overseas markets - implications for exporters and UK competitiveness
- consumers & labelling:
- safety and nutritional concerns - taste and affordability
- transparency about ingredients and production methods - naming and labelling requirements - evidence supporting nutrition and sustainability claims
- customer demand:
- requirements of retailers, food service providers and ingredient buyers - commercial partnerships between developers and manufacturers
- willingness to pay for new products and ingredients - long-term purchasing arrangements and prospects for repeat demand
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI; Food Standards Agency; The Scottish Government.
