The UK is no longer at risk of falling behind other countries in the protein transition, thanks to a collective outlay of £75M in future food innovation. But more can be done in the upcoming food strategy.
As the Labour government begins work on a food strategy, a new analysis shows that the UK has injected £75M towards the development of sustainable proteins.
This sum represents 60% of the £125M investment recommended by Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy in 2021, which noted that alternative proteins could help the UK cut emissions by lowering meat consumption, and boost the economy via the creation of 10,000 manufacturing jobs.
There were fears that without government support, the UK would risk falling behind its European counterparts in the protein transition – but that’s no longer the case, according to alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe, which carried out the analysis.
Food and environment secretary Steve Reed has indicated that he is “interested in building on the work that Henry Dimbleby started” and pledged to work with the food sector to develop the new national food strategy in the first half of the year.
This is crucial too, with the UK off track for its net-zero target, and a new report urging food policy overhaul to battle climate change and global insecurity.
“Ministers should use the forthcoming national food strategy as a springboard to build on the impressive work that has already taken place and develop the policy, regulatory, scientific and commercial landscape needed to accelerate protein diversification over the rest of the decade,” Linus Pardoe, senior UK policy manager at GFI Europe, tells Green Queen.
New research centres a ‘major step forward’
The 2021 strategy advised the government to invest in homegrown scientists and startups developing plant-based foods, cultivated meat and fermentation-derived ingredients. It suggested pouring £50M into an innovation cluster, and £75M in grants for startups.
Boris Johnson, who was prime minister at the time, heeded the recommendation in the 2022 Government Food Strategy, committing to innovation funding, regulatory guidance, and a revamp of the novel food framework.
Following this, two UK Research and Innovation Council bodies jointly pledged at least £20M for alternative protein R&D. And since 2023, four major research centres have cropped up – the Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub, the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre, the Microbial Food Hub, and Bezos Earth Fund‘s Centre for Sustainable Protein have collectively been backed by over £60M in public and philanthropic funding.
While “it would be a stretch” to call these centres a cluster, their establishment is a “major step forward” and provides much-needed coordination of the UK’s alternative protein research and innovation ecosystem, according to GFI Europe.
“Our recent analysis found that across Europe, the UK fell only behind the EU institutions and Denmark in terms of public and philanthropic funding for alternative protein research, while UK researchers have published more work in this area than those from anywhere else in the region,” says Pardoe.
He adds that the launch of the research centres is “an excellent start”, though “there is room for growth” to ensure UK scientists stay ahead of the curve. “Targeted public investments in key overlooked areas – such as optimising ingredients and developing locally-grown crops for plant-based meat and dairy products – is now needed to make sure the UK remains internationally competitive,” he explains.
Dimbleby’s strategy also proposed that any food business with over 250 employees must report on a range of health and sustainability metrics, including how much of their protein sales come from plant-based sources. But only 17% of major food companies voluntarily do so, with only Lidl GB breaking down its protein sales while setting a target to increase plant-based offerings.
Regulatory progress is commendable, but slow
The UK last year made several moves to break away from pre-Brexit novel food regulations, with the government investing £1.6M to create a new regulatory sandbox for cultivated meat, which is expected to help fast-track market approval for these proteins. The Food Safety Authority (FSA) also plans to set up a system of international cooperation, which would see the UK greenlight cultivated meat products approved in other countries.
Additionally, the FSA is creating a new public register to replace the existing system of requiring a statutory instrument (which adds up to six months to the assessment process), and removing the need for renewals of approvals every 10 years.
The progress has been positive yet slow. “The FSA’s announcement of a regulatory sandbox is an exciting sign that the UK government wants to capitalise on the strong investments made in cultivated meat research, by bringing products to market in a way that upholds Britain’s gold standard safety regulations,” says Pardoe.
“But while the sandbox is a welcome measure, other challenges still remain. The FSA has been under-resourced for a number of years – resulting in lengthy delays for product approvals – and the detailed guidelines for alternative protein startups first proposed in 2022 have yet to be published, meaning some companies lack the clarity needed when preparing dossiers,” he adds.
“The UK has also not yet introduced a modern approach to holding safe, limited taste testing for novel foods, similar to the protocol introduced by the Netherlands – another area that could enable startups to demonstrate progress and engage with consumers as they develop their products.”
That said, the UK is about to be the first European country to offer cultivated meat to customers, with London startups Meatly and The Pack co-launching dog treats made from cultivated chicken and plant-based ingredients at Pets at Home starting tomorrow (February 7).
Israel’s Aleph Farms, French startups Vital Meat and Gourmey, and British player Ivy Farm Technologies are all awaiting approval from the FSA too.
However, Pardoe says the job is only half done: “As the food strategy process progresses throughout 2025, we will develop key proposals to make sure the UK continues to grasp its status as a European alternative protein leader, enabling Britain to reap the potential of these foods to deliver green economic growth, boost food security and improve public health.”
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