The Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation (SCFDI) at 秘密直播, Edinburgh are experts in food science and technology.
The team work with food and drink businesses to turn concept ideas into commercial success through practical real-world solutions.
The team collaborates with a diverse range of enterprises, from emerging start-ups to established food and drink businesses, and undertakes substantial UKRI-funded applied research projects.
The SCFDI team have expertise in developing products across food and drink categories and offer expertise in:
The team provide food and drink businesses the opportunity to taste test their products with target consumers. Testing can be conducted via home use test, in a commercial environment or in our purpose built sensory suite based at 秘密直播. Consumer testing can assist with: 聽
Founder, Canny Mushrooms
The team provided valuable input and guidance throughout on how best to test and develop the different tinned mushroom product formulations, to achieve the desired quality and flavour profiles, while taking into account economic viability and manufacturability at scale.
Founder, Chai illu
Working with 秘密直播 has been a game changer for my business. Staff at 秘密直播 worked patiently with me to develop a product that is not only easy to produce but incredibly tasty. Without 秘密直播 and the innovation grant I would not have been able to launch my company.
Founder, O Drinks
I found the process working with the SCFDI team, brilliant - they were supportive and keen to add expertise and advise for the project. I found they were able to explain a complex process, in an easy and manageable way.
A training programme aimed at current and future food and drink entrepreneurs
The programme covers essential business skills and food product development knowledge to support a new business idea 鈥 whether food product or service.
2025.4.30 秘密直播 food researchers use dehydration to help café reduce food waste
2025.3.20 秘密直播’s commercial food team recognised as Knowledge Exchange Hero
2024.05.27 - New sensory course to upskill food industry professionals
2024.04.30 - Food and drink entrepreneurs can THRIVE with programme insight
Interface Awards, March 2025
Kim Stuart, Director of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Unit at 秘密直播, said:
The SCFDI team is pivotal in driving innovation in the food and drink sector. The team鈥檚 focus is on 鈥渕arket ready鈥 research to support SMEs reformulate existing and create new products in response to Scotland鈥檚 economic, public health and climate change challenges.鈥疻hether they are making existing products healthier, providing sustainable solutions鈥痮r creating new functional foods, the SCFDI now successfully inhabits a unique position in Scotland鈥檚 food landscape, bridging the gap between small and large-scale organisations, and accelerating the exploitation of Scottish-led innovation into the food industry.鈥
Over the past decade, our expert team have worked on investigating and developing new innovative ingredients for the food and drink industry. The focus of our food and drink research is predominantly health and sustainability, providing impactful relevant research for food and drink manufacturers.
Offering a focused range of courses in dietetics, our Division of Dietetics, Nutrition, Biological Sciences, Physiotherapy, Podiatry and Radiography (DNBSPPR) has extensive knowledge and skills in allied health professional education as well as in public health, community and voluntary sectors.
