Fera Science Ltd, a leading provider of expert laboratory and field- based services in the agriculture, food, and environmental sectors, is pleased to launch the strategic partnership with the Chinese Academy of Quality and Inspection & Testing (CAQIT formerly CAIQ) to act as a new FAPAS® partner in China, complementing our existing long term and high-quality agents in Beijing and Shanghai.   This is part of a wider strategic engagement between Fera and CAQIT to explore commercial opportunities to deliver expanded capability, including proficiency testing and supply of reference materials, as well as delivery of international accredited testing for food companies in China in a faster and effective way.

Damian Malins, International & Strategic Growth Director, Fera, commented that this strategic partnership would facilitate increased confidence in vulnerable food ingredients and products sourced from China, through the technical support provided by Fera. The approach developed by Fera and CAQIT, would also provide a faster, more cost effective and scientifically robust alternative to UK and EU based customers. Additionally, by becoming a Fapas^® partner would enable CAQIT to continue to increase its existing offering to business and state laboratories in China.

Chen Dongdong, representative of CAQIT emphasized the broader opportunity this partnership provided stating that the combination of CAQIT’s focus on quality inspection and testing technology researching, married with the rigour of Fera’s testing standards would give increased levels of confidence to exporters of Chinese products.

This strategic partnership will commence from June 2025.

Fera Science Ltd, a leader in scientific services, has been awarded the prestigious Lab of the Year award, a recognition that highlights the company's unwavering commitment to scientific excellence, innovation, and integrity. As a trusted strategic partner in the ever-evolving food and beverage industry, one of Fera’s missions is to tackle global food supply chain challenges, food fraud, and emerging risks to safeguard the integrity of food systems.

Fera’s entry into the Lab of the Year award spotlights the incredible projects they work on and their pivotal role in shaping the future of food safety, authenticity, and quality. With cutting-edge technology and a team of highly skilled scientists, Fera consistently delivers accurate, reliable, and timely results that help clients maintain regulatory compliance while building consumer trust.

Fera’s ground-breaking projects have driven industry change with notable initiatives including their collaboration with Defra on studying emerging novel protein sources, enhancing food authenticity and labelling. Another pivotal project is their involvement in the PATH-SAFE Programme, where they are piloting the development of a national surveillance network using advanced DNA-sequencing technology to detect and track foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across the agri-food system. This work significantly strengthens food safety protocols, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses and promoting public health.

"We are absolutely delighted to receive this award. It’s a testament to our dedication, innovation and hard work of our entire team. This recognition not only highlights the strides we’ve made in ensuring the safety of our food but motivates us to continue pushing the boundaries of scientific excellence. We’re excited about our future and remain committed to advancing a safer, more secure food industry.”  Wendy Martindale, Fera, Head of Growth 

Fera’s work with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on allergen methods, novel protein allergens, and waste valorisation further underscore their support in driving industry-wide policy. Their innovative research, such as verifying the authenticity of UMF® Manuka honey, has set new standards for food quality, boosting consumer confidence and supporting fair trade practices.

The Lab of the Year award not only celebrates Fera’s accomplishments but also reinforces its long-term impact and commitment to fostering a safer, more transparent food industry for consumers around the world. 

Meet the team

Through a new study SugaROx Ltd and Fera Science Limited will explore the feasibility of using a game-changing biostimulant technology to improve tomato resilience to climate change, whilst also reducing the carbon footprint of production in the UK.

In tomato production, plant growth, fruit set, and yield are optimal at day/night temperatures of 21°C to 29.5°C and 18.5°C to 21°C, respectively. An increase of just a few degrees above these ranges can damage reproductive organs, leading to drastic decreases of fruit setting.

Studies show that temperatures of 32°C during the day and 26°C at night 10 days before anthesis can significantly decrease the number and viability of pollen grains. This impact on pollen is associated with changes in carbohydrate concentration in developing anthers, and affects fruit set.

As a result of climate change, high temperatures are becoming more frequent, longer lasting, and more intense in the UK. The summer of 2022 marked a new milestone in UK climate history, with 40°C recorded for the first time in the country.

“Summers are a critical period for tomato production in the UK” says Dr. Phil Morley, Technical Executive Officer at the British Tomato Growers’ Association (BGTA). “Our producers are already struggling to achieve profitability due to increases in energy and labour costs and more extreme temperature conditions will put additional pressure on our sector.”

Biostimulants are a relatively new class of crop input and are gaining rapid attention as one of the most promising tools to increase crop resilience to climate change. “While traditional biostimulants offer yield gains of 2-5% for farmers, our approach has the potential to boost yields by up to 22% on arable crops,” says Dr. Cara Griffiths, SugaROx’s CTO.

SugaROx is set to disrupt this space with formulations based on active ingredients (AIs) inspired by powerful plant molecules. Traditional biostimulants, which are extracts from algae and plants or acid-based formulations from organic waste, are mixes of ingredients. By bringing a targeted approach to this industry, SugaROx can boost plant processes with a level of precision not seen before.

“In this new 24-month project, our main objective is to explore the viability of adapting our technology to boost the ability of tomato plants to cope with heat stress,” Dr. Griffiths explains. “The new high-throughput phenotyping capabilities available at Fera allow us to test this in a very effective and efficient way.”

“Digital phenotyping tools, such as hyperspectral imagery, allows us to detect changes in plant status in response to environmental stress much earlier than using traditional methods”, explains Dr Aoife Dillon, Principal Scientist for Crop Protection at Fera. “In addition, digitalisation reduces the need to destructively sample plants, so is more efficient in terms of time, space and energy usage”.

Using the Phenospex PlantEye Technology, Fera will produce 3-D scans of miniature tomato plants under abiotic stress (heat and drought) with and without the SugaROx biostimulant and compare the development of these plants to unstressed (control) plants. “The model system that we will develop in this study can be used by other biostimulant manufacturers to test their products”, explains Dr Dillon.

“Biostimulants have the potential to alleviate the impact of climate change on crop production, and also to minimize the impact of food production on climate change,” explains Bianca Forte, SugaROx’s Business Development Director. “To evaluate the potential of our technology to reduce the carbon footprint of tomato production, experts from ADAS will be involved in our study”. 

Sarah Wynn, Managing Director of the ADAS Climate & Sustainability Team adds “through understanding the carbon footprint of the biostimulant itself, and then assessing the carbon benefit of using the biostimulant, versus non-use, we can model the potential carbon gains and the added benefit from its application”.

“The BTGA, which represents the majority of commercial tomato growers in Great Britain, will act as Knowledge Exchange Champion in our consortium”, adds Ms Forte. “Through their input, we will ensure our strategy to explore the strengths and weaknesses of our approach takes into account end-users’ practices and needs,” explains Ms. Forte.

“Climate-related challenges are becoming an increasing concern to our members, so we are excited to work with SugaROx to support the development of this potential solution,” says Dr. Morley. “Information on how to get involved in the consultation process will be published on the BTGA page on LinkedIn, in BTGA newsletters, and at our annual conference in Warwickshire on 26th September."

For more information, contact our project lead and Crop Protection Principal Scientist, Dr Aoife Dillon, via LinkedIn.

Defra, publishes Report on Emerging Protein Sources for Food Authenticity and Labelling

Fera Science Ltd., (Fera), a leading scientific research organisation, is pleased to welcome  the release of a report commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) titled "Implications of emerging novel protein sources for food authenticity and labelling". This comprehensive report delves into the critical issues surrounding the emergence of alternative protein sources and their implications for food authenticity and labelling.

With the world's population projected to reach a staggering 9.7 billion by 2050, ensuring access to safe, nutritious food while protecting natural resources poses a formidable challenge. One potential solution to this challenge lies in the exploration of alternative protein sources. Interest in these novel protein sources has been steadily rising, fuelled by perceived benefits related to animal welfare, health, and sustainability.

The report's executive summary sets out the context of this research:

• Perceived Benefits: Alternative proteins are gaining popularity due to their perceived advantages, including improved animal welfare, health benefits, and reduced environmental impact.
• Technological Advances: Rapid technological advancements are accelerating innovation in the alternative protein sector, resulting in a plethora of new products.
• Regulatory Frameworks: Governments worldwide are revising their regulatory frameworks to accommodate these innovative products while safeguarding industry and consumer interests.
• Emerging Risks: With the introduction of novel ingredients and products, as well as the increasing complexity of the food supply chain, new risks are emerging that must be addressed.

The Defra-commissioned project under the Food Authenticity Programme focuses on assessing the authenticity and labelling of alternative protein products, their compatibility with current regulatory frameworks, and the capabilities of existing testing methods to authenticate and detect fraud risks in this sector.

The report categorises alternative proteins into four groups:

1. Plant-Based Proteins: This category encompasses proteins derived from vegetables, legumes, and algae.
2. Cellular Agriculture: Includes cultivated meat, seafood, and cell-based milk.
3. Fermentation: This category is further divided into biomass fermentation (where cultivated microorganisms form the product, such as Quorn mycoprotein) and precision fermentation (where yeast, algae, or bacteria are genetically modified to express animal proteins).
4. Insect-Based Proteins: Insects for both food and animal feed.

The research draws on findings from an international conference on alternative proteins, academic and grey literature, and expert consultations to provide a comprehensive overview of the sector.

The report sheds light on the innovative developments in the alternative protein industry, identifies potential risks, and emphasises the importance of regulatory frameworks and authenticity testing in ensuring consumer confidence and safety.

Fera remains committed to advancing scientific knowledge and supporting informed decision-making in the field of food authenticity and labelling. The release of this report marks a significant step towards addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging novel protein sources in our global food system.

For more information about Fera’s expertise in novel food and alternative proteins and to see the report, please visit www.fera.co.uk/food-safety/alternative-proteins-and-novel-foods or get in touch with Joe Humphreys.