Food Development and Security

Connecting you with cutting edge expertise in food development, production and security.

Imperial Consultants (ICON) have delivered numerous projects for public and private sector clients, international organisations and regulatory bodies. Projects can be delivered by individual specialists, topic related departments within Imperial or by multi-disciplinary groups.

Our breadth of services and solutions include…

 

Security and management

  • Computer modelling of crop production and the climate, based on fundamental science and informed by observations.
  • Computer models of crop diseases and pests, such as the Fusarium Ear Blight which impacts staple crops (wheat, maize and rice), in conjunction with climate models for specific regions to estimate changes in risk.
  • Natural resource management (for example fisheries), environmental risk management and international development.
  • Application equipment for pesticides for Vector Control.

 

Structure and sensory insights

  • Material modelling and mechanical characterisation of soft polymeric solids in foods to understand how changes in food structure impact the sensory experience.

 

Manufacturing and packaging

  • Numerical modelling of industrial food processes such as rolling, extrusion and cutting.
  • Predicting the behaviour of 3D printed materials.
  • Smart design tools for additive manufacturing.
  • Food technology and production.
  • Production and analysis of sustainable, low CO2 impact, recyclable materials to transform food packaging.

 

Nutrition

  • The role of dietary carbohydrates on appetite regulation, insulin resistances, lipid metabolism, body composition and appetite regulation.
  • The role of nutrients in the secretion of appetite regulating peptides and the basic nutritional physiology involved in energy balance.
  • Undertaking clinical trials to reduce the risk of malnutrition in the elderly and hospitalised.

 

Health

  • The cellular microbiology of pathogens such as E. coli, Legionella, Salmonella.
  • Measuring the impact of drinking water salinity on population health.
  • Controlling salinity in drinking water sources in response to impacts of climate change.
  • Disinfection of opportunistic pathogens found in tap water plus plant-derived biocides as potential alternative disinfectants.
  • Measuring occurrence of and controlling antibiotic-resistant pathogens in drinking water.

Advisory services

Product design, research methods, data analysis, technology evaluation for investment, technological innovation, patent evaluation, prototype and protocol development, policy, cyber security and more. Assisting museums, writers, film makers and artists to ensure creations scientifically sound.

Expert insight

Membership of Scientific Advisory Boards and Technical Panels, advice and guidance on drug development programmes, thought leadership, conference speakers, literature reviews and provision of foresight.

Analysis and testing

Use of the world-class specialist facilities and technicians at Imperial for projects ranging from aerodynamic measurements and medical imaging to structural testing and analysis.

Our consultants are world-leading experts in their field, committed to on-going research.

Related Insights

Life after lockdown: Business as unusual

Life after lockdown: Business as unusual

How can you adapt to the 'new normal' without access to facilities, a full workforce or face to face meetings – and with consumers shifting spending even further online? How can you flourish? read more

Life after lockdown: Infrastructure

Life after lockdown: Infrastructure

By making our infrastructure smarter, more resilient and more sustainable we will be better-placed to emerge as a stronger society. It's just requires brave, data-based decisions - and riding the current political and social challenges. read more

Life after lockdown: Energy

Life after lockdown: Energy

Build a more resilient, more sustainable and greener future, whether you’re part of the energy sector, a policy-maker or looking to cut your energy costs to make your business more efficient. read more

Related case studies

Hepatitis C genotype and drug resistance testing

Hepatitis C genotype and drug resistance testing

Genotype and resistance testing for new direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs designed to treat Hepatitis C virus (HCV). read more

Putting science into Sci-Fi

Putting science into Sci-Fi

When Left Bank Pictures (producers of The Crown and Lost) were looking for someone to give their Sci fi adventure, ORIGIN, a touch of realism - they called upon Imperial Consultants. Thanks to his previous work with filmmakers, writers and artists, they were introduced to Dr Roberto Trotta, a theoretical cosmologist renowned for taking on the unusual - and gifted in translating ‘science-speak’ into layman’s terms. read more

Twenty20 cricket bat testing

Twenty20 cricket bat testing

The consultants shared expertise and testing in line with MCC rules to help Mongoose develop the MMi3 cricket bat which is an improvement on the standard cricket bat. read more

Latest news

Electric Insights – quarterly reports

Electric Insights – quarterly reports

Commissioned by Drax and delivered by Dr Iain Staffell and team, the quarterly Electric Insights reports analyse raw data made publicly available by National Grid and Elexon, which run the electricity and balancing market respectively, and Sheffield Solar. read more

Twins and More – FREE LIVE webinar – 18 April

Twins and More – FREE LIVE webinar – 18 April

Educational webinar for radiologists, sonographers, gynaecologists and sonologists covering fetal echo in monochorionic twins, the controversy of twin growth charts, NIPT in twins, and common question from parents & how to handle them. Live from 12 noon UK time. read more

Collaborating to beat cyber threats

Collaborating to beat cyber threats

Cyber Security regularly rears its head in the press, with the government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) clocking up 1,131 incidents since last October. To manage the risk industry, government and academics from a multitude of disciplines are joining forces. read more