Your guide to food innovation courses in the UK
Food innovation encompasses the development and commoditization of new food products, processes, and services.
The food and beverage industry is a rapidly changing environment, and food innovation is happening every day – evolving the ways healthy and nutritious foods are made.
Food innovation also makes higher levels of nutrition more accessible to wider populations whilst making them enticing, exciting, unique, and sustainable.
Food innovation courses often delve into topics such as:
- The design and creation of innovative food and packaging
- The ways new and exciting foods are marketed to mass audiences
- Learning how new products can be made safe, affordable, and sustainable
- Discovering innovative ways businesses can thrive in the industry
What can you expect from food innovation courses?
Food innovation courses are aimed at students looking to build careers in the ever-evolving food industry, more specifically within product development.
These courses are designed to build knowledge and understanding of the innovative product development process. This includes how new and exciting ingredients are developed and launched from conceptual stages, all the way to launch.
The following courses also involve a wide range of assessment methods to determine your final grade. These include written reports, presentations, team-based projects, exams, and dissertations.
Food Innovation and Nutrition BSc (Hons)
This food innovation course is ideal for a student interested in science, food nutrition, and human health.
The course has been designed to equip graduates with the essential skills and knowledge required to enter the food industry at a trainee manager level. This course offers the skills needed for the development of innovative, nutritious foods which meet the demands of the consumer.
In addition to core studies, most courses will offer the opportunity to obtain a year-long work placement to enhance the student’s learning about the job and the industry in a professional setting.
These placements are designed to open doors to higher quality manager and trainee manager positions, and even jobs within the product development and quality management sectors of the food industry.
Core modules include:
- Food chemistry and nutrition
- Food manufacture, safety and quality
- Food microbiology
- Food packaging technology
- Data management and analysis
- Sensory perception
- Applied food science
- Food and health
- Food packaging design
- Food preservation
- Food product design
- Human physiology
- Business improvement
- Contemporary global issues in food and nutrition
- Environmental and quality management
- Food innovation
Consumer Management and Food Innovation BSc (Hons)
Designed to develop knowledge on the pivotal role the consumer plays within design, development, management, and marketing processes, this food innovation course addresses crucial aspects involved in helping customers make informed choices.
Understanding your target audiences and the role they play is essential when your aim is meeting customer demands. This is the focus of this food innovation course, and you will enhance your knowledge of the consumer and the designer relationship.
Core modules include:
- Food studies and nutrition
- Food sensory science
- Media, creativity, and experience
- Management in action
- Consumer law
- Product development
- Food tourism, festivals, and events
- People management
- Health and consumer lifestyle
- Accounting studies
- Business research
- Contemporary marketing practice
- Food innovation
- Food and drinks media
- Applied sensory science and quality control
- Managing talent and productivity
- Management accounting
- Contemporary marketing management
- Contemporary consumer issues
Food Innovation MSc
Prepare for a career in product development science whilst attaining an expert understanding of food and nutrition.
Aimed at graduates looking to build their careers within the food industry’s product development sector, this course provides the knowledge required to contribute to healthy living lifestyles by designing new healthy and sustainable products.
Students will also develop their knowledge and understanding of how ingredients are developed and launched whilst learning how to enhance sustainability and creativity within food chains.
Many food innovation MSc courses include learning from the personal experience and expertise of staff working within key areas – including human nutrition, public health, food chemistry, food microbiology, product development, safety, legislation, sustainability, and more.
Core modules include:
- Food product and process development
- Marketing, innovation and management
Food Quality and Innovation MSc
This is a Master’s course which focuses students’ learning on the entire process of food product development. This includes the conceptual stages where ideas for new products are brought to the table, the launch of brand new products, and the scrutinising processes in between.
The need around the world for quality food has never been more prevalent in society, and the pressure is mounting on food industry experts to ensure the latest products are safe, sustainable, and made to a higher standard than ever. Therefore, the demand for experts qualified in this field has exploded, which means career opportunities are vast.
This food innovation course has a focus on consumer-led product development, helping students to develop the specialist understanding required to ensure the latest food product developments guarantee the quality and safety of food. They will also gain a broad understanding of legislation and how this impacts the industry.
Core modules include:
- Microbiological and chemical food safety
- Food processing
- Nutrient & food biochemical structure and function
- Food analysis
- Food product development
- Sensory science
- Food quality assurance and control
Culinary Innovation Management MSc
The Culinary Innovation Management MSc course is designed to help students develop their skills for leading positions in the culinary and hospitality industries.
During their time on this course, students will discover a number of different and crucial roles within the culinary industry, all while developing skills in management, entrepreneurship, innovation, and further food business skills.
The global culinary industry is continuously changing, and this means that there is an increased need for businesses to develop innovative solutions which respond to the ever-shifting climate of consumer trends, customer satisfaction, and brand loyalty.
To solve this problem, this food innovation course focuses on innovation within the culinary arts and management field to prepare future employees to shape the future of the food industry.
Core modules include:
- Culinary design and development
- Customer experience management
- Entrepreneurship and innovation
- Food service operations management
- Sustainability in the food and beverage industry
- The food and beverage business environment
Food Science and Innovation MSc / PgDip
From assessing how contamination within food occurs to discovering how alterations to taste and texture of typically undesirable food are made, students on this course will learn about the very latest technological developments in the food safety and sustainability industries.
Explore 21st-century food manufacturing processes and develop a deep understanding of how the biochemical properties of diverse food components influence not only the taste and texture of foods, but how much of an impact they have on nutrition, health, and the planet.
This food innovation course also explores sensory evaluation, food law and how global trends influence the sustainability and wider impact of the food chain.
Core modules include:
- Fundamental nutrition
- Molecular nutrition and biochemistry
- Food composition and analysis
- Food microbiology
- Food processing
- Food safety and quality management
- Innovation in NPD
- Future food sustainability
Food Design and Innovation MSc / PgDip / PgCert
If you have a passion for the food and drinks industry and have innovative ideas you want to turn into reality, this food innovation course may be for you.
From gaining a crucial understanding of the behaviours and decisions consumers make to designing the latest innovative solutions to their decisions, students will have the opportunity to access the very latest equipment and data to bring their ideas to life.
You will also gain first-hand data and experience into how the modern consumer shops, investigating what this means for your potential business and products to add unrivalled value to your business by enhancing innovation and management capabilities.
Core modules include:
- Food choice, culture and environment
- Food policy and sustainable food systems
- Sensory and consumer evaluation
- Data-driven design decisions
- Food and drink innovation
- Food design and digital communications
