Date: Wednesday 10th September 2025
Location: The Royal Society, Central London
Time: 9.00 to 4.30pm
Join us in London for the official launch of NFX UK, the UK’s first Novel Foods Expert Network for Regulatory Challenges. This network is funded by Innovate UK and delivered in partnership by RSSL, Imperial College London and The Supplant Company.
The NFX UK Launch Conference is a must-attend event for anyone involved in the evolving world of novel foods. This free one-day event brings together food innovators, researchers, regulators, investors, and policy makers for a full day of knowledge sharing, collaboration, insightful presentations and panel discussions.
Throughout the day, you will hear from industry leaders on key topics, including:
- UK regulatory developments relevant for novel foods
- Practical guidance and challenges around dossier submissions
- Insights into commercial scale-up, from lab to market-ready products
- The current funding and innovation landscape
- Market perspectives related to novel foods e.g. investors, consumers and multinationals
- Overview of emerging food technologies and innovations such as alternative proteins, fermentation, algae, CBD, insects and plant breeding
This conference will provide you with an opportunity to develop your knowledge and build connections in this rapidly evolving market.
Conference Programme
| 09:00 | Registration & Refreshments |
| 09:30 | Welcome Introductions (10 min) Chair Morning Session: Jane Staniforth: Head of Innovation & Research Collaboration – RSSL |
| 09:40 | Key Note: Feeding the Future (20 mins) Speaker: Chris Danks Transforming Food Production: Interim Head of Agri Food – Innovate UK |
| 10:00 | Overview of NFX UK (10 mins) Speaker: Sonalika Jain: NFX UK Network Lead – NFX UK |
| 10:10 | Note from NFX UK Partners (30 mins) Speakers: Jacinta George: VP & Managing Director – RSSL Dr Tom Simmons: Founder & CEO – The Supplant Company Professor Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro: Professor, Director of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein & the Microbial Food Hub – Imperial College London |
| 10:40 | Key Note: The Road Ahead – The Current & Potential Future Regulatory Framework (20 mins) Speaker: Tom Vincent: Deputy Director of Innovation Policy – Food Standards Agency |
| 11:00 | Coffee & Networking (30 mins) |
| 11:30 | Panel: Why Novel Foods Matter to Everyone (30 mins) Chair: Fiona Bennie: Managing Director, Innovation x Sustainability & Future of Food – Accenture Speakers: Dr Ian Noble: VP Research & Development – Mondelēz International Leo Ringer: Partner – Form Ventures Indy Kaur: Founder – Plant Futures Vicky Grinnell-Wright: Director of Foodtech CIB – Lloyds Banking Group |
| 12:00 | Key Note: Unlocking the Future – The UK’s Path Through Innovation & Regulation (20 mins) Speaker: Lord David Willets: Chair – Regulatory Innovation Office |
| 12:20 | Panel: Novel Food Innovation in Action (40 mins) Chair: Prof. Paul Freemont: Head of Structural & Synthetic Biology – Imperial College London Speakers: Dr Peter Noy: Director, Food Systems Institute – University of Nottingham Geoff Knott: Director – UK Edible Insect Association Dr Andrew Spicer: CTO and Founder – Algenuity Marika Graham-Woods: CEO & Chairman – Cannabis Trade Association Meir Wachs: CEO & Co-Founder – Kyomei |
| 13:00 | Key Note: Innovation in the UK & Future Market Needs (15 mins) Speaker: Mike Reader MP: Chair of the All Party Parliament Group Food & Drink |
| 13:15 | Lunch & Networking (60 mins) |
| 14:15 | Introduction to the Afternoon Agenda (5 mins) Chair Afternoon Session: John Felipe-Murphy: Alternative Proteins Scale-up & Regulations Manager – Imperial Bezos Centre for Sustainable Proteins |
| 14:20 | Panel: The Dossier Dilemma: Navigating Submission Challenges (30 mins) Chair: Dr Ben Price: Business Development Manager – RSSL Speakers: Michael Dickinson: Managing Scientist – Exponent Rosalía Flores: Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist – Solar Foods Joe Taylor: Regulatory Lead – Hoxton Farms |
| 14:50 | Panel: Update on Current Regulatory & Innovation Initiatives (30 mins) Chair: Linus Pardoe: Senior UK Policy Manager – The Good Food Institute Europe Speakers: Dr Joshua Ravenhill: Head of the Cell-Cultivated Product Sandbox Programmes – Food Standards Agency Kathryn Miller: Technology and Innovation Manager – NAPIC Dr Ruth Wonfor: Lecturer – Aberystwyth University & CARMA |
| 15:20 | Panel – Scaling Innovation From Bench to Commercialisation (30 mins) Chair: Dr Tom Simmons: Founder & CEO – The Supplant Company Speakers: Prithvi Kodialbail: Head of Partnerships – Extracellular Alex Neves: CEO & Co-Founder – Clean Food Group Agata Giardina: Analytics Team Leader – Better Dairy Limited |
| 15:50 | Taking Consumers on the Novel Foods Journey (30 mins) Speakers: Linus Pardoe: Senior UK Policy Manager – The Good Food Institute Europe Neil Stephens: Associate Professor in Technology and Society – University of Birmingham |
| 16:20 | Recap From the Day & What Next (10 mins) Speaker: Sonalika Jain: NFX UK Network Lead – NFX UK |
| 16:30 | Meeting Close |
The agenda is subject to change, final timings and the full speaker list to be confirmed.
Registration Information
To ensure a diverse audience, attendance is limited to a maximum of two delegates per organisation. Please register your interest below, a formal invitation and confirmation will follow once registration opens.
Register your interest here
To the right of the event page on eventbrite please select ‘get ticket’ and follow the instructions.
For any enquiries regarding the NFX UK launch conference, please contact the NFX UK team on hello@nfxuk.co.uk
