Our research programmes look to a healthy and sustainable future

The Riddet Institute aims to generate the future knowledge and skills to address the unprecedented challenges and disruptions facing the food sector in a rapidly changing world. Its expertise lies at the intersection of food science and nutrition with a particular focus on food structure and how that food structure affects functionality, digestion and physiological outcomes. Our scientists have world-leading expertise in a range of scientific fields with our core expertise in:

  • Food structure and digestion
  • Dairy science (incl. milks of different species)
  • Sustainable nutrition (modelling)
  • Protein functionality
  • Protein digestion and nutrition
  • Food bioactives
  • Food innovation and development

This expertise is applied to several different research programmes and projects from discovery science through to development of new technologies and products.

Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) Research Programme

Future Foods in Harmony with Nature

The next generation of food products will need to address not only nutrition and health, but also the most pressing environmental and ethical issues of our time. There is an urgent need for foods to become more sustainable; environmentally; nutritionally; socially; economically. This will require the introduction of new materials in the food chain, such as novel crops, animal protein replacers, marine plants and food materials from bioreactors, as well as the creation of foods that appeal to consumers and deliver their nutritional needs with less wastage.

The vision of the new Riddet Institute Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) research programme is 'Future Foods in Harmony with Nature' – we aim to provide the fundamental underpinning science to support tomorrow’s innovations in advanced foods. These foods will be sustainable, support optimal nutrition, human health and wellbeing, and appeal to the preferences of tomorrow’s global consumers.

Embedded in our programme are three interlinked research themes and two supporting elements:

Themes

1: Food Structure Design and Nutrient Delivery

2: Sustainable Future Proteins

3: Transformational Technologies

Supporting Elements

The Human Dimension

Complex Systems Science

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