UK Food Safety Research Network Receives Support to Continue Three More Years of Work
First established in 2022 with the goal of making scientific advances to improve food safety, the Quadram Institute has received renewed support from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to continue its Food Safety Research Network (FSRN) into a second phase.
With an award of £650,000, over the next three years, FSRN will accelerate the translation of research into real-world food safety solutions, strengthen connections across the wider food system, and catalyze targeted investment to tackle emerging and evolving risks.
FSRN connects research expertise with the hands-on knowledge of food producers, manufacturers, and policymakers. During its first phase, FSRN grew to include almost 500 members from 290 organizations. It has run 11 workshops and supported 42 collaborative research projects, distributing £1.88 million of funding to multidisciplinary consortia that unite scientific researchers with industry and policymaking perspectives.
The network has four priority research areas:
- Reducing the microbial risk (e.g. from foodborne pathogens like E. coli, biofilms, and the use of in situ pathogen surveillance)
- Understanding and navigating risk in novel foods (e.g., insect- and plant-based proteins) and emerging threats (e.g., the effects of climate change)
- Applying food safety knowledge and technology to traditional practices to reduce risk (e.g., supply chain mapping, trainings, and data-sharing)
- Improving food safety in the home (e.g., improving the design of domestic fridges to deliver safer and longer lasting food).
As an example of FSRN’s work, in response to foodborne Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) outbreaks, FSRN and the Chilled Food Association are harmonizing cross-sector response by developing a fit-for-purpose STEC test and clarifying STEC-related reporting regulations and guidance.
FSRN has also provided early financial support to the University of Leicester and the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to develop materials that help innovators bring antimicrobial bacteriophage products to market.
In another project, FSRN worked with the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) and Fera Science to convene vertical farmers and develop best practice guidance for the emerging sector.
FSRN has also funded work on novel foods, such as plant-based and insect proteins. FSRN-funded projects have explored the microbial risks associated with novel foods to help develop strategies to control these risks in food production. The network also supported the UK Edible Insects Association to bring the community together in conferences in 2024 and 2025.
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The network is led by Matthew Gilmour, Ph.D. and Maria Traka, Ph.D. Additionally, each priority work area is represented by both an industry and an academic champion. Alongside other expert champions for policy, training, and industry engagement, they will advise the leadership team on strategy and partnership opportunities.
The FSRN Leadership Team comprises the Quadram Institute, Newcastle University, University of Southampton, Fera Science, University of Leeds, MHRA, FSA, consultant Alec Kyriakides, the Fresh Produce Consortium, Samworth Brothers, Queen’s University Belfast, the UK Edible Insects Association, Asda, and the Chilled Food Association.
