Food Matters for staff and students

UCLan SENS' staff and students recently attended the prestigious 'Food Matters Live' event in London.

Lecturers Dr Steph Dillon, Dr Brigit Ramsingh, Dr Marisol Warthon-Medina and April Melia accompanied 25 students to London's ExCel for the annual gathering which is dedicated to food, health and nutrition.

The event brings together the food and drink industry, retailers, food service providers, government, academia and features seminars, workshops as well as a vast array of exhibitors.

The trip was an excellent opportunity for the group to learn about the latest food innovations, make contacts with members of the food industry and health professionals, and sample products from companies that have developed allergen-free alternatives, functional foods, and tapped into trends such as the Paleo diet and 'raw' and 'natural' snacks.

Students had the opportunity to network with exhibitors from the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF International) about industry related topics and also discuss student placement opportunities.

Master's by Research student Suruci Pradhan (right) commented: "It was an extremely innovative and educational event.

"It was interesting to know about food products, technologies and different careers in food industry through wide range of exhibitors. I'm really looking forward to attending this event next year."

April Melia added: "The event was an ideal opportunity for staff and students to meet exhibitors from all areas of food safety, food hygiene and food science.

"There were so many interesting and exciting development areas covered by exhibitors and the students really engaged with the whole experience.

"It was also an opportunity to attend seminars and conferences covering the latest research from around the world.