Food Tech: 100 Years of Innovations

On the 60^th anniversary of the founding of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), we explore how the industry has changed by looking through the lens of Food Science & Technology Research at Campden BRI – an industry leader for technical developments in the food and drink sector.

Like the IFST, Campden BRI has a long and proud history of serving the food and drink industry. It was founded in 1919 as the ‘Campden Experimental Factory’ and was administered by the ‘Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Drying Committee’ of the UK's former Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

At its inception, Campden BRI was focused on understanding the fundamental principles of thermal processing and on helping to establish the emerging canning industry in the UK. Its scope of activities broadened in line with both technological developments in the food industry and as a consequence of mergers with other organisations (the Flour Milling & Baking Research Association -FMBRA, Campden BRI Hungary and Brewing Research International -BRI, which merged with Campden BRI in 1995, 1998 and 2008 respectively).

In a short article like this, it is not possible to comprehensively address all research activities over such a long period. The intention here is to give a flavour of research activities and how they reflect changes in the food industry over the period. It should also be noted that this article focuses on the research of the ’Campden Experimental Factory’ and its subsequent iterations rather than research at FMBRA or BRI.

From 1919 through to the 1940s, Campden BRI conducted extensive research on thermal processing fundamentals, including crop variety selection for canned foods, raw material specification requirements and can corrosion. Reflecting new technical developments, in the 1930s, chilling and freezing ‘rooms’ were introduced on site to produce ‘frozen packets’ that were the forerunners of ‘quick-frozen foods’.

Early work was challenging and required significant improvisation from staff on a limited budget. For example, pH was determined using a potentiometer and mirror galvanometer. Footfall and vibrations from local trains disrupted the measurements until the chemist in charge attached a bucket of sand to a bracket and used three wide-mouthed potted-meat jars to act as a tripod! Visitors to Campden BRI for thermal processing training had the deluxe comfort of camping on the grounds for accommodation!

From the 1920s until 1952, the ‘research station’ – as it was locally known – was an outstation of The University of Bristol. Campden BRI then became established as a ‘research association’ in the 1950's, and the period between 1946 and 1965 saw increasing mechanisation in both agriculture and the factory.

In 1965, the organisation's clients included almost all of the canned fruit and vegetable producers in the UK. Additionally, it received a substantial block contribution from membership fees within the quickfreezing industry. The organisation felt the need to expand its client base and venture beyond the realms of canning and freezing technology due to growing pressures.

Research continued into canning and freezing, and variety trial work to optimise canning and freezing remained a significant part of the research programme. Work on the quality impacts of thermal processing was conducted, for example trials to explore the thermo-stability of anthocyanins (1973) and the effect of heat processes on product nutrition (1973). Plus, guidance was produced on post-process sanitation in canneries.

In the 1980s, Campden BRI conducted research on early microwave processing technologies (temperature measurement and control in microwave processing) and formed the ‘Campden computer control club’, which reflected the growing use of computing in process management. Industrial research on ohmic heating was conducted (a then ‘new’ technology that was first commercialised in 1927!). Major projects on energy monitoring and optimisation in the canning industry were also conducted.

The 1980s and early 1990s saw significant work around all aspects of factory hygiene for what was then an emerging chilled food sector. Many of the hygiene initiatives undertaken by Campden BRI during that era continue to underpin numerous prevailing practices in the sector. Work was initiated with a focus on cleaning, sanitation, and the hygienic design, particularly in the context of chilled food processing. Campden BRI became a founder member of the European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG) and established an auditing standard that evolved to be the first British Retail Consortium Food Safety Standard Issue 1. In 1987, Campden BRI achieved a milestone by publishing the world's inaugural industry guidance on the application of HACCP to food manufacturing. Alongside factory hygiene research, there was a great deal of thermal microbiology work establishing the typical thermal processes we see in the chilled food sector today. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) started to be deployed in the industry and Campden BRI ran numerous research studies and published guidelines for the manufacture and handling of MAP food products.

The rise of chilled food manufacturing stimulated the use of domestic microwaves for reheating products such as ready meals. At the time, there was little in the way of standardising the performance of microwave ovens (much as we see with air fryers today), so a microwave heating category rating system (A-E) was developed that is still in use today. A greater range of preservation techniques started to be explored including microwave sterilisation, high pressure processing (HPP), thermo-sonication and pulsed electric field (PEF) processing. Some of these technologies, most notably HPP and, to a lesser extent, PEF have now found widespread use. At the time, there were single-digit applications of what were seen as fringe ‘out-there’ technologies.

In the ‘noughties’, we embarked on early explorations into surface decontamination techniques, such as cold plasma and pulsed light technologies. Simultaneously, an increased interest in novel packaging techniques emerged. Research delved into edible coatings, as well as active and intelligent packaging systems. Mirroring the heightened interest in continuous flow heat processing, projects were initiated to validate the safety and quality of flowing liquids and to ensure the cleanliness of filling operations.

New techniques to measure process lethality, such as the use of time-temperature integrators, were refined. It is interesting to note that projects started to be commissioned around various food contaminants, such as allergens, acrylamide and endocrine disrupters (2003/2004).

The issue of Salmonella survival in dried products gained momentum with research projects around Salmonella heat resistance in low water activity products (2003) and best practice for cleaning in dry food factories (2004). There was also a significant programme of work around decontamination protocols for pathogens in produce (2005).

The growing interest in the diet and health agenda is reflected in the Campden BRI research programme from around 2007, with various projects around ‘clean-label’ starches, natural anti-microbials, fat replacement, sugar replacement, vegan product development and functionality assessment of plant-based ingredients (2007 to date). Alternative proteins started to feature, with projects related to ancient grains and the potential for insects as ingredients (2017). The interplay of diet and health remains a core research theme today.

In 2008, the merger with Brewing Research International (BRI) broadened the services of Campden BRI's into the fermented and alcoholic product sector. Presently, the research programme at Campden BRI revolves around five themes, developed through consultations with the food and drink industry. These themes are:

1. Diet & Health;

2. Food and Drink Safety;

3. Digital transformation;

4. Sustainability and climate change;

5. Affordability of food.

These needs also align well with the needs of the industry, as identified for the Food Sector Knowledge Transfer Network ‘Food Industry priorities for a sustainable food system’ (Food industry priorities for a sustainable food system - 2023 - Innovate UK KTN (ktn-uk.org)).

Campden BRI's commitment to collaboration with universities and other research institutions remains as strong as ever, as evidenced by its role in the Food Consortium Collaborative Training Partnership, where it has partnered with Mondelez, Nestle, Samworth Brothers, PepsiCo and the University of Nottingham to fund the next generation of food industry scientists. Engaged in various Innovate UK-funded projects initiated in 2023, the research covers diverse themes. These include addressing scale-up challenges for cultivated meat in line with sustainability research, exploring innovative decontamination methods for low water activity products as part of food and drink safety research, and advancing the development of novel ingredients aligning with diet & health and sustainability.

Looking ahead, there is a continuous evolution of needs within the food and drink industry. The exploration of cultivated meat is one example of where new technologies might help to meet the challenge of feeding a growing global population whilst minimising environmental impact. Technologies such as cellular agriculture for meat production will need parallel developments in technologies to structure the resultant biomass if significant traction is ever to be gained for the approach.

Partnerships with industry and academia remain as important as ever for Campden BRI and for the wider industry. Developments in artificial intelligence and precision fermentation, for example, will be transformative for the food and drink industry but will require multidisciplinary collaboration to truly realise their full potential. It has been said that ‘change is the only constant in life’ and that is certainly true in the world of food science and technology.