Food industry experts to turn cutting edge research into future food products

Tractor in field

Experts from the food industry will join academics and entrepreneurs to explore how wrinkled peas could be turned into diabetes-fighting food products

Food Hack 2020, held at Imperial College Advanced Hackspace (ICAH) at Imperial’s White City Campus, will challenge participants to design, validate, and pitch new food products which could contribute to the fight against diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 

The hack is based on research from Imperial College London, Quadram Institute and the John Innes Centre Germplasm Resources Unit which has identified a natural genetic variation in peas with a positive impact on controlling blood glucose levels and preventing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The project was led by Dr Katerina Petropoulou from the Centre for Translational Nutrition and Food Research at Imperial. 

Bridging the gap

Participating teams - involving small to medium sized businesses (SMEs), industry leaders, entrepreneurs and academics – will explore potential consumer food products leveraging the cutting-edge research. 

Aiming to bridge the gap between research and the market, multidisciplinary teams will be challenged with developing a product concept and business proposition over the course of 48 hours. New propositions will be considered for further development. 

Participants and experts involved include representatives from Diabetes UK, Waitrose & Partners, Tate & Lyle, Tenzing, LioBites and Dr Will’s, G’s Growers among others. 

The research, forms part of a wider BBSRC funded project led by Professor Gary Frost, Head of the Centre for Translational Nutrition and Food Research and Chair in Nutrition and Dietetics at Imperial.  

Food Hack 2020 will take place on 26 -28 Feb 2020 and is organised with Studio Zao. 

About Imperial College Advanced Hackspace 

Imperial College Advanced Hackspace (ICAH) is a unique community of inventive minds from across the College who come together to collaborate, experiment and innovate.  

Providing access to specialist manufacturing equipment and training, ICAH convenes multidisciplinary communities to develop ideas and products that tackle some of society’s most pressing issues. 

Food and nutrition research 

Professor Gary Frost
Professor Gary Frost leads the Centre for Translational Nutrition and Food Research at Imperial

Imperial is a beacon for food and nutrition research. It’s Centre for Translational Nutrition and Food Research brings together world leading research teams across the College to Responding to key emerging global challenges in food, nutrition and health. 

Professor Gary Frost, who leads the Centre, spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos last year about his team’s research investigating whether supporting the gut microbiota can help to combat both malnutrition and overeating. A pilot study in Kenya showed for the first time that feeding legumes to malnourished children had positive effects on the microbiota, unlike milk-based products that are traditionally given to tackle malnutrition.

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