Innovate UK launches competition to make food healthier

Innovate UK has launched a competition to stimulate the development of new processes and products that lead to the availability of healthier food choices for consumers and open up new market opportunities for the industry.

The competition will fund up to £10 million in projects aimed at reducing sugar, salt and fat and increasing dietary fibre in food and drink.

Lead technologist, agriculture and food team at Innovate UK, Helen Munday said “Innovate UK believes that healthier ingredients in packaged and pre-prepared foods have a part to play in improving our nation’s diet. This is not the entire answer to poor dietary habits or the obesity epidemic, but the companies that win funding and the innovations and healthier products that they develop will be part of the solution.”

Innovate UK competition designed to help industry develop innovative products

Leading businesses recognise the need to proactively offer consumers foods that are more nutritionally balanced and, at the same time, appealing to modern tastes. Innovate UK’s competition is designed to help industry to develop innovative products to meet and anticipate evolving consumer preferences, and to help the UK build on its reputation for safe and sustainable food production of the highest standard.

The market opportunity is broad, from niche health products to mass markets such as bread. For greatest economic impact, Innovate UK have said they are looking for a breadth of projects, spanning a variety of food types, from improving heavily consumed, comparatively unhealthy foods to developing new, healthier foods to meet increasing consumer demand.

Register before 18 November 2015 and get your entry in before noon on 15 November 2015 when the competition closes.

To find out more or to register, please visit: interact.innovateuk.org