Public Funding for Pepsico International Limited

NewTrition- ReNEWable, sustainable nuTRITION. This project provides approaches in the re-use of commercial waste streams to create a market first, "late stage customisation" ingredient, reducing oil and salt in the diet, increasing productivity and reducing environmental impact through innovative process development. The project requires the development of an innovative process compatible with existing production and control systems to enable increased dietary fibre in the final product . This will not only deliver major waste reductions but will also dramatically reduce CO2 emissions from transport and enhance the shelflife of a product ‘made to consume’, thereby reducing waste in both the distribution system and in domestic use. The system will be engineered by combining innovative process engineering know how, informed by food science research and development, with a ready market and supply chain to exploit the innovation. Outputs from this research will benefit India’s economy through increased efficiencies and reduced need for raw material importation, and socio-economic development through environmental and human sustainability benefits.

Long-term storage of potato tubers is essential for year round supply. Maintaining sprout suppression and low reducing sugars during storage of processing potatoes is paramount for supply quality and minimising the formation of acrylamide; key priorities for the processing industry. Potato storage is still heavily reliant on the chemical chlorpropham (CIPC) to manage sprouting but further restrictions are coming into force. The proposed work will build upon recent research and develop novel, cost effective, benign, physiologically-targeted storage interventions which will suppress sprouting and maintain low sugars. This offers a route to incremental reduction in CIPC use within the UK and beyond.

This project will provide UK oat producers with world leading agronomic ‘tools’ to maximise grower returns and capitalise on the increasing demand for food grade oats. The objectives are 1) Develop and validate algorithms for translating visual / spectral sensor data from Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into quantifiable crop parameters to enable growers to optimise management for yield and quality across fields; 2) develop an Oat Crop Model and associated decision support tools; 3) develop an Oat Growth Guide which will provide a reference to assess crops status against key development bench-marks. Focused dissemination of these innovative tools will increase average yields by at least 1t/ha, contribute to sustainable intensification, reduce supply risk for millers, reduce imports, catalyse product innovation & consumer access to healthy grains and stimulate milled product export.

We are aiming to control how foods rehydrate during processing.

PepsiCo International, in conjunction with academic partners, are focusing on the development of new technologies to ensure heightened functionality of future products. With more and more products hitting the marketplace on a daily basis, PepsiCo International is seeking to develop new technologies to enhance their products and continue to stand out in the world of the consumer. Such technologies require advanced process knowledge in order to maintain high standards of quality, flavour, and functionality. These studies, therefore, will ensure that such new developments are fully understood and thus PepsiCo will continue to provide an exciting and delicious consumer product whilst being at the forefront of food technology.

PepsiCo International, in conjunction with academic partners, are focusing on the development of new technologies to ensure heightened functionality of future products. With more and more products hitting the marketplace on a daily basis, PepsiCo International is seeking to develop new technologies to enhance their products and continue to stand out in the world of the consumer. Such technologies require advanced process knowledge in order to maintain high standards of quality, flavour, and functionality. These studies, therefore, will ensure that such new developments are fully understood and thus PepsiCo will continue to provide an exciting and delicious consumer product whilst being at the forefront of food technology.

To develop cutting edge starch conversion processes in baked snack products.

Free Living Nematodes (FLN) are emerging as a major problem for UK potato growers, exacerbated in the short term by removal of approved nematicides and in the long-term by expected population increases due to climate change. FLN cause direct damage by feeding on potato roots reducing yields and quality, and indirectly by transmitting Tobacco Rattle Virus (TRV). Relatively low levels of TRV infections can render entire crops unsaleable, both for the fresh and the processing industries. Current knowledge estimates the total loss to the UK potato industry to be >£13m p.a. FLN comprise a range of different taxonomic groups that are difficult to distinguish visually but vary significantly in terms of their distribution, pathogenicity and virus transmission frequencies, and have been to date under-studied in the UK. The problem is further compounded by beneficial and pathogenic FLN species co-existing, and thus accurate discrimination is essential. This project brings together a consortium of companies with a grower base of over 500 growers invloved in ware potato production seed both for use in the UK and export. In addition, a number of companies with potential methods for controlling FLN populations are included as partners. For the first time, a molecular diagnostic capable of distinguishing between the three main groups of FLN of interest will be developed, validated and deployed. This will be used to assess direct FLN feeding damage on a selection of commercial potato varieties as well as study effects on tuber quality and transmission of virus. In parallel, molecular markers will be developed to facilitate the breeding of new potato varieties with resistance to TRV.