Food Processing

& Manufacturing

Driving productivity through advanced food manufacturing processes and investing in innovative new product development to bring healthy, sustainable plant-based foods to market.

Food Safety, Quality,

and Innovation

Public interest in food production methods is growing. People want to know what goes into their food and how it affects their health.

Recent campaigns against ultra-processed foods have prompted closer examination of flavourings, emulsifiers and sweeteners. The government's new policy restricts promotion of foods high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS).

This is where innovation matters. Advances in processing technology and recipe formulation drive the development of higher-quality, nutritious, and affordable food.

Bringing Healthy Foods to Market

At Growing Kent & Medway, we support businesses to enhance their food processing and manufacturing to bring innovative new products to market.

Healthy Product Re-formulation

Reducing sugar, salt, and saturated fat.

Novel Food Processing

New techniques including fermentation to transform foods or extract new ingredients.

Flavour and Sensory Analysis

Improving the texture and taste of new ingredients and products.

Nutrition Analysis

Assessing macro nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Food Safety

and Quality

Ensuring the safety of consumers and protecting the stability, integrity, and traceability of ingredients.

Sustainable Packaging

Developing packaging that’s good for the planet and the product.

Food Processing Case Studies

Woman (Cecilia Wu) smiles, holding two bottles of Super Bio Shot. Display banner says "Trust Your Gut, Feel Your Best." Indoor event setting.

Scaling Science-Backed Gut Health Drinks for Retail with Cecii Health

Cecii Health utilised our business support ecosystem to transform a handmade fermented juice shot into a scalable, market-ready product. By combining technical R&D from our Food Accelerator with expert business mentoring, founder Cecilia Wu has refined her formulation, become a finalist for the Nourish Awards, and is now scaling up for national retail.

Growing Kent & Medway

4 min read

Woman stands by a table with Root Mylk brochures and products in the Medway Food Innovation Centre lab. Wears patterned dress and glasses, looking at the camera.

Stabilising African Superfoods for the Plant-Based Market with Root Mylk

Root Mylk, a Kent-based wellness brand, successfully stabilised their plant-based Tigernut drinks using advanced processing techniques supported by Growing Kent & Medway. By collaborating with the University of Greenwich, they developed a clean-label formulation that eliminates separation and increases shelf life, paving the way for a major retail launch.

Growing Kent & Medway

4 min read

Person (Nimisha Raja MBE) in a hat lectures a group in orange coats and blue caps in a food factory. Focus on attentive expression and industrial setting.

Turning Surplus Fruit into Sustainable Food Powders with Nim’s Naturally

Nim's Naturally, a Kent-based snack producer, is achieving its zero-waste ambition, supported by Growing Kent & Medway, by turning surplus dried fruit and veg into a new range of products. This R&D project developed recipes for affordable meal kits and snack bars, creating new revenue streams and tackling the challenge of food waste in the agri-food sector.

Growing Kent & Medway

4 min read

Useful Links

Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein

National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC)

Quadram Institute: Fungal biology, gut health and future food