August 2018

The Food Standards Agency has successfully completed a pilot using blockchain technology in a cattle slaughterhouse^[2]. It is believed to be the first time blockchain has been used as a regulatory tool to ensure compliance in the food sector.

Scientists at the University of Kent have discovered that the vitamin content of some plants can be improved to make vegetarian and vegan diets more complete. Vitamin B12 (known as cobalamin) is an essential dietary component but vegetarians are more prone to B12 deficiency as plants neither make nor require this nutrient.

A team, led by Professor Martin Warren at the University’s School of Biosciences, has proved that common garden cress can take up cobalamin. The amount of B12 absorbed by garden cress is dependent on the amount present in the growth medium.

Three major retailers, Marks and Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, have joined forces with plastic packaging manufacturer, Faerch Plast, and recycling and waste management company, Viridor, to put recycled black plastic into new food grade packaging^{[6, 7]}. The aim is to provide a circular economy solution to a previously challenging material that was difficult to recycle and to reduce the amount of virgin plastic entering the economy.

A team of scientists lead by Brunel University London are developing a molecular test and a smartphone app that, when used together, can detect six key pathogens in poultry^[9]. Backed by £615,000 from the UK government’s Newton Fund, Brunel will work with the University of Surrey and Lancaster University to develop the tests over the next three years.