The UK government has invested £75m in developing sustainable new foods – more than half the amount recommended by a landmark review of England’s food system.
The Good Food Institute Europe (GFI Europe) assessed the progress made since Henry Dimbleby highlighted the importance of building a strong alternative protein ecosystem in his 2021 National Food Strategy.
Dimbleby’s report recommended a £125m funding injection for UK scientists and startups developing plant-based foods, cultivated meat and fermentation-made ingredients to address concerns that the UK could fall behind other countries.
The analysis found that rapid progress has been made in boosting public investment in alternative protein research. In fact, 60% of the recommended funding has been allocated to alternative protein innovators, which makes the UK the second largest public research funder in this field in Europe (after Denmark).
GFI Europe praised the creation of four major new UK research centres, backed by public and philanthropic investment. These are: the Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub; the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre; the Microbial Food Hub; and the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Proteins. GFI said it is however “premature” to describe any of them as a so-called “cluster” as envisaged by Dimbleby in his strategy.
Linus Pardoe, senior UK policy manager at GFI Europe, said “a solid foundation is now in place on which scientists and businesses can build a thriving alternative protein sector. But the job is only halfway done,” he added, with the planned new food strategy an opportunity to “unlock alternative proteins’ potential to deliver innovation-driven economic growth and provide people with healthier dietary choices”.
Indeed, GFI’s analysis also found “positive but slow progress” has been made in modernising regulations for foods such as cultivated meat and precision fermentation. This includes the Food Standards Agency (FSA) creating a regulatory sandbox enabling it to work with businesses to address issues that could “inhibit the path to market”, the Institute noted. The FSA has yet to publish the detailed guidance and information for alternative protein startups, first proposed in 2022.
Mandatory reporting of protein sales has also not been implemented for large food companies – as proposed in Dimbleby’s strategy. According to the Food Foundation, only 16% of 36 large food companies voluntarily report on this metric.
Grocery discounter Lidl last month expanded its plant-based range as it targets 25% of its total protein sales to come from the products by 2030 (from a baseline of 14% in 2021). Globally, it has committed to increase the share of plant-based food sales by 20% by the end of the decade.
For a more detailed analysis of the regulation of cultivated meat see here, the first article in a series of Footprint Legal articles, in association with DWF.
