NFX UK, the UK’s first dedicated Novel Foods Expert Network, has today announced the launch of its new digital platform, marking a major milestone in the network’s ambition to accelerate progress, connect stakeholders, and support clearer regulatory pathways for Novel Foods.
Through its community-building platform and holistic support system, NFX UK will empower innovators to develop and commercialise new products and technologies more efficiently and responsibly, alongside assisting the UK to become a global leader in the Novel Foods sector. This will include proactively monitoring any changes to the current regulatory framework and impact of global developments, such as the recent UK-EU trade deal, and connecting businesses with experts who can provide appropriate advice.
Led by RSSL in collaboration with Imperial College London and The Supplant Company, and supported by funding from Innovate UK, NFX UK has been established to connect Novel Foods innovators with leading regulatory and scientific expertise. The network is designed to support a more efficient and informed regulatory approval process, promoting best practices and fostering cross-sector collaboration.
NFX UK Knowledge Hub
Members of the NFX UK Network will benefit from expert insights, practical resources, and a collaborative community. In the coming months, they will also have access to the NFX UK Knowledge Hub, a comprehensive resource created to help innovators navigate the complex world of Novel Foods research and development.
The Knowledge Hub will feature:
- The Novel Foods Roadmap: A step-by-step overview of the UK’s Novel Foods regulatory process, offering a clear guide to application stages, requirements, and approval timelines.
- Digital Resources: A curated library of up-to-date guidance materials, regulatory tools, topic-specific insights, and information on emerging trends in food innovation.
- Expert Directory: An exclusive network of regulatory consultants, food safety experts, analytical service providers, technical experts, academics and process experts.
The Knowledge Hub will also contain frequently asked questions and case studies showcasing real-world applications and best practices, alongside a forum where members can engage in discussions and build collaborative relationships across industry and academia.
A new brand for NFX UK
As part of this launch, NFX UK is unveiling a new brand identity to support the network’s mission of providing the sector with an accessible, collaborative space for knowledge sharing and growth.
The new brand is anchored in NFX UK’s core principles of authority, collaboration, trust, and sustainability, and reflects a bold vision for how the UK can lead global food innovation. It underscores the network’s mission to create a dynamic & collaborative community that empowers stakeholders, simplifies regulatory processes, and helps bring sustainable, nutritious, and cutting-edge food solutions to market more efficiently.
To mark the official launch, NFX UK will be hosting its first major conference in September 2025, bringing together experts from across the sector to explore innovation, regulation, and the future of Novel Foods in the UK and beyond. Organisations and individuals interested in joining the network and helping shape the future of food are encouraged to visit the NFX UK website or follow NFX UK on LinkedIn for the latest updates.
A word from our collaborators
Jacinta George, Managing Director & VP at RSSL:
“We’re proud to see NFX UK launch as a standalone platform with a unique brand identity, built to drive Novel Foods innovation in the UK. At RSSL, we believe collaboration is key to solving the challenges of sustainability, nutrition, and food security.
NFX UK will bring together the expertise, tools, and networks needed to accelerate new technologies and products from concept to market, and we’re excited for the future.”
Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro, Director of the BEZOS Centre for Sustainable Protein and Microbial Food Hub at Imperial College London:
“NFX UK fills a critical gap in the UK’s innovation landscape. This platform will be instrumental in helping companies working in alternative proteins and other areas navigate regulatory hurdles more effectively.
It’s a perfect fit with our mission to support science-led, sustainable food solutions, and we’re excited to be part of this important collaboration.”
Dr. Tom Simmons, CEO of The Supplant Company:
“As food technology innovators, we know how challenging the regulatory pathway can be.
NFX UK represents a major step forward in supporting companies like ours, offering clarity, connection, and a shared commitment to getting better food solutions to market faster.”
About NFX UK
NFX UK is the UK’s first Novel Foods Expert Network, helping companies bring novel foods to market faster by connecting innovators with experts and sharing knowledge to help them navigate complex regulations. For more information, visit https://www.nfxuk.co.uk.
About the partners
RSSL
RSSL is a cutting-edge contract research organisation, pushing the boundaries of science and innovation to help make our world safer, healthier and more sustainable. Our clients trust us to deliver innovative solutions through rigorous analytical testing, state-of-the-art research and development, customised consultancy, and training services. Driven by our mission to transform lives through science, innovation, and collaboration, RSSL partners with companies to address global challenges. A key area of focus is supporting the Novel Foods sector.
We provide comprehensive end-to-end support, including regulatory gap assessment, product characterisation, stability, in-use assessments and dossier submissions, helping companies navigate the complexities of product development and regulatory approval. For more information about RSSL, visit https://www.rssl.com/
Imperial
We are Imperial – a world-leading university for science, technology, engineering, medicine and business (STEMB), where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.
As a global top ten university in London, we use science to try to understand more of the universe and improve the lives of more people in it. Across our nine campuses and throughout our Imperial Global network, our 22,000 students, 8,000 staff, and partners work together on scientific discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. Their work navigates some of the world’s toughest challenges in global health, climate change, AI, business leadership and more.
Founded in 1907, Imperial’s future builds on a distinguished past, having pioneered penicillin, holography and fibre optics. Today, Imperial combines exceptional teaching, world-class facilities and a habit of interdisciplinary practice to unlock scientific imagination.
The Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at Imperial College London, funded by the Bezos Earth Fund, strives to advance the alternative protein revolution. Harnessing advanced science and technology, we aim to transform global food systems, making them more sustainable, healthy, equitable, and resilient, while creating solutions for global food security. For more information on Imperial and the Bezos Centre, visit https://www.imperial.ac.uk.
The Supplant Company
The Supplant Company is a venture-backed food ingredient company that exists to solve three interconnected problems within our global food system: nutrition, sustainability, and food security. From this mission came their flagship ingredient for sugar replacement, Supplant™ Sugars from Fiber, and now their pioneering new ingredient, Supplant™ Grain & Stalk Flour.
By upcycling agricultural side-streams into ingredients that perform like traditional sugar and flour, your favourite foods can still look, feel and taste as they are meant to, but without the negative nutritional and environmental effects. For more information on The Supplant Company and its ingredients, visit https://www.supplant.com/.
