The Food & Drink Expo 2025 brought together more than 30,000 professionals from across the retail, wholesale, foodservice, manufacturing, and hospitality sectors. With over 1,500 exhibitors, the event provided a vital platform for exploring trends, innovations, and challenges shaping the future of food and drink in the UK and beyond.
This year’s Food & Drink Expo underscored one vital message: the UK food and beverage industry is evolving rapidly, and so are the risks that come with it. Fera was proud to participate, bringing our expertise in food safety testing, HorizonScan, and Fapas proficiency testing to the table—and engaging in conversations that will shape the future of food safety.
From future food innovations to sustainable packaging, the Expo presented an opportunity to explore where risk intersects with innovation—and how science and data can help navigate the path forward.
Key Insights for Food Chemistry & Contaminant Risk Management
Emerging Product Trends in the Future Food Zone
The Future Food Zone was a vibrant showcase of innovation—highlighting booming categories like keto, kombucha, fermented foods, whole foods, and functional beverages. While exciting for consumers and retailers, the rapid rise of these novel product types introduces new, unknown contaminant risks into the supply chain.
This reinforces the importance of proactive risk identification, particularly through tools like HorizonScan, which helps businesses monitor global food safety alerts and anticipate emerging threats linked to new ingredients or processing methods. Comprehensive contaminant analysis is essential to ensure that innovation doesn’t compromise safety.
Sustainability and Safety in Packaging
Another spotlight moment came from the Packaging Zone, where exhibitors showcased alternatives to conventional plastics—biodegradable materials, compostable wraps, and novel food contact surfaces. While the shift toward sustainability is widely welcomed, it introduces a fresh set of food safety considerations.
Specifically, laboratories and manufacturers must pay closer attention to chemical migration from packaging into food, especially with less-established materials. Fera’s material testing and risk evaluation services are key in helping businesses validate new packaging from both a sustainability and a safety perspective.
HorizonScan: Anticipating Risk Before It Reaches Your Plate
Industry conversations consistently returned to one critical need: staying ahead of the risk curve. That’s where HorizonScan proves invaluable. As a global monitoring system, HorizonScan empowers businesses to:
- Track food safety alerts and recalls across 100+ countries,
- Identify vulnerabilities by commodity, country, or supplier,
- Take pre-emptive action before a threat affects product safety or brand trust.
In a globalised food economy, early intelligence is no longer optional—it’s strategic necessity.
Fapas: Giving Labs Confidence in Their Results
With new contaminants and testing targets on the rise, laboratories must validate their methods and maintain high performance. Fapas—Fera’s world-renowned proficiency testing service—helps labs and food companies:
- Benchmark their analytical accuracy,
- Meet international regulatory requirements,
- Build credibility with retailers, auditors, and consumers.
When your results inform safety decisions, confidence in those results matters. Fapas provides that assurance across a range of proficiency tests in:
- Food & Beverage
- Water & Environmental
- Cosmetics
Fera’s Broader Testing Expertise: Trustworthy, Tailored, and Transparent
Whether it’s pesticide residues, heavy metals, acrylamide, allergens or packaging migration—Fera delivers accredited, science-led testing that supports:
- Regulatory compliance (UK, EU, and global),
- Retailer and supply chain standards,
- Incident response and surveillance programs.
Our scientists work at the forefront of regulatory and scientific research, bringing evidence-based insight that translates directly into business value.
Beyond the Booth: Expo highlights from our team on the stand
- Industry Networking & Collaboration
One of the Expo’s greatest strengths was its ability to connect players across the supply chain—suppliers, retailers, foodservice operators, and laboratories. There was a palpable sense of collaboration and partnership, with conversations focused on supply chain resilience, sourcing transparency, and shared innovation. - Insightful Talks and Demos
The seminars and live demos were packed with actionable insights. From future food technology to ESG in branding, experts shared strategies for staying relevant in a highly competitive, fast-moving market. ESG, in particular, emerged as a central pillar of consumer trust and brand differentiation.
Final Thoughts: Science and Partnership at the Core
As food businesses innovate to meet changing consumer expectations, Fera stands ready to support them—through scientific expertise, data-driven foresight, and a collaborative mindset. Whether you're formulating the next best-selling beverage, overhauling your packaging, or managing global supply chains, food safety must remain at the core of every decision.
Let’s build a safer, smarter food future—together.
Learn more about HorizonScan, Fapas, and our food safety testing services at www.fera.co.uk.