The FoodTech Bridge Journey to Support Food Innovation & Eating

As a food product development technologist and ingredient solutions provider, I often shared insights with food technology students at the University of Johannesburg, where I served as a part-time lecturer for several years. Our conversations covered new ingredients, new areas to explore for NPD, ethnic cuisines, exotic fruits and vegetables, traditional eating habits and more! Reflecting on the importance of continuous learning in this fast-changing industry, bridging the gap and staying ahead can be challenging for academics, students and food professionals alike. Later in my career, during my brief role as the Work Integrated Learning coordinator at the University of Johannesburg, before an abrupt move to the UK, I became acutely aware of additional challenges faced by students, academia, and industry. How do we better support students transitioning to the workplace? My brief placement left me feeling as if I had somehow let down both the students and myself, and I carried this sense of emptiness with me across the seas.

Bridging the transition of students to the workplace became my goal since 2019, when I set out to build FoodTech Bridge. I envisioned a platform where students could learn about the latest food products, trending flavours, marketing and processing trends, new food and beverage brands and explore innovative ingredients before entering the workforce. I believe with all my heart that this type of preparation and learning can transform the transition for students into the fast-paced world of F&B, increase their confidence, and equip them with new skills.

Food and beverage professionals face many challenges that are now more urgent than ever, including threats from war, potential global food and ingredient shortages, environmental issues, unpredictable weather, and growing concerns about domestic animal welfare. The biggest challenge in feeding a growing global population of over 8 billion remains enormous!

Keeping up with F&B trends, exploring sustainable farming and production methods, employing ethical and transparent sourcing, reducing packaging, managing social media influence, dealing with new competitors, facing first-to-market pressures, rising R&D costs, food safety concerns, increasing business expenses and operating within a limited budget and less time and focus. All these factors can make it difficult for food professionals to remain competitive and may overwhelm students who are not familiar with them.

Today, consumers are more informed than ever, thanks to social media. However, they often come across a lot of misinformation about processed foods, and sometimes, there aren’t enough clear guidelines to help them enjoy these foods responsibly to gain more nourishment.

The digital marketplace has simplified access to information, yet data remains costly, connectivity issues persist in some countries and quick access to accurate and current food research can be expensive. We are gradually finding it more challenging to concentrate effectively, so searching online for new products often brings its own distractions, such as targeted advertising. I know from my own experience as an entrepreneur how challenging it can be to access reliable, budget-friendly research on new food and beverage innovations, trends and industry developments.

The FoodTech Bridge of brands is specifically designed to affordably support students, professionals and consumers in simplifying research and navigating the production and consumption of processed foods.

Label Up is a product catalogue of processed foods featuring a visual ingredient directory.

Sips with Bites is a product and event catalogue showcasing new product discoveries in both retail and foodservice, including content from London F&B pop-ups, food festivals, markets, and food shows. When used together, these catalogues provide a comprehensive overview of developments in the UK F&B market.

We believe that our platforms can help students to become more confident about entering the industry, equipped with key market information and food professionals can bridge the path to successful NPD and food innovation with more creative flair using our trend tools.

Consumers can also gain more confidence in reading processed food labels, learn about brands that align with their values, understand food additives and work towards achieving more balance.

Why take the long path when you can take the Bridge? Join us today to get more from food research at www.letslabelup.com

We hope our platforms will inspire you to tackle some of the challenges in food research and encourage you to create and enjoy food with even more passion and focus.