If we’re your go-to ethanol supplier as a food researcher, you might be interested to hear this breaking news about new funding available for innovation in the realm of gluten-free and coeliac-friendly foods.
According to FoodManufacture.co.uk, grants between £50,000 and £250,000 are to become available in a new competition for researchers and businesses looking at projects to help those with coeliac disease and gluten intolerance.
The fund, launched by charity Coeliac UK and supported by Innovate UK, sits at £750,000 to be split between those who win them by meeting the right criteria. Nutritious and affordable are two pillars of the competition, however, those also using interesting and novel ingredients, those with improved nutrient profiles and those using new methods of preserving will also be prioritised.
Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Coeliac UK said: “With the global diagnosis for coeliac disease increasing year on year, this is a chance for UK business and researchers to get ahead and develop competitive advantages in innovation which will be of benefit to a badly underserved patient group.”
The charity opened the fund earlier this year, hoping to fundraise £5 million in celebration of its 50th year. Innovate UK was one of the first to contribute, injecting £500 into the fund.
Calum Murray, head of agriculture and food at Innovate UK, said that this competition promised to make a real difference for those with coeliac disease, but that it would also help fuel innovation across food and health industries.
One in 100 people in the UK has coeliac disease, however, the charity believes that some half a million people in the country remain undiagnosed.
