Future Food-Tech London 2026 brought together food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, startups, investors and researchers to discuss how new technologies are changing food production, nutrition and product development.
Across the two-day summit, one question came up repeatedly: How can the industry turn promising food technologies into products that are affordable, scalable and useful to consumers?
From alternative cocoa ingredients and fermentation-based proteins to AI-powered formulation and functional nutrition, the discussions showed where companies are investing, which challenges remain and what could shape the next generation of food products.
GreyB’s Future Food-Tech London 2026 Report combines these conference insights with an analysis of selected companies across six technology categories, examining their innovations, commercial applications and available patent information.
Conventional ingredient production is vulnerable to supply and cost pressures
Fermentation-derived proteins and sweeteners
Eclipse Ingredients, Pentasweet
Fermentation processes can be slow and expensive to expand
Process technologies designed to improve fermentation efficiency
Yeastime, Typcal
Reducing fat can negatively affect texture and mouthfeel
Protein-based microgel technologies
MicroLub
Plant proteins can be difficult to use in conventional food formulations
Processes designed to improve plant-protein functionality
Fabas
Food spoilage reduces shelf life and increases losses
Antimicrobial packaging, protective coatings and predictive shelf-life tools
Klura Labs, Bio2Coat, Shelfion
Nutrition ingredients require stronger evidence of how they work
Digestion models, microbiome analysis and nutrition studies
Aelius Biotech, Enbiosis, Comet Clinical
Food quality assessment and compliance require reliable information
Advanced sensing and AI-supported quality workflows
Figura, CERTI
Product development requires repeated formulation and consumer testing
AI-assisted product development and taste prediction
Digitaste, Quartz Labs
The Bigger Signal
These technologies address different parts of the food-development process.
Fermentation companies are developing alternative ingredient sources. Reformulation technologies aim to improve product performance. Food preservation solutions target shelf life and spoilage. Testing and AI platforms are helping development teams evaluate products and manage information.
The important question is no longer only whether a technology works, but whether it can solve a practical problem under commercial manufacturing conditions.
What R&D and Innovation Teams Should Watch Next
GreyB at Future Food-Tech London 2026: Opportunities Beyond GLP-1 Users
GreyB’s Prateek Gandotra and Irene Smit presented research on how GLP-1-related changes in eating behaviour could create opportunities for the food industry.
While many current products focus on people taking GLP-1 medication, GreyB highlighted three consumer groups with different nutritional needs:
Active GLP-1 users: Smaller meals may need to deliver adequate protein, fibre and essential nutrients.
Post GLP-1 consumers: Foods that support fullness and appropriate nutrition may be relevant to weight maintenance after treatment.
Non-GLP-1 consumers: Everyday food approaches may help address broader consumer interest in satiety and appetite management.
The presentation also explored three research directions: supporting the body’s own GLP-1 signalling, changing food structure and digestion through food engineering, and investigating microbiome-related metabolic signalling.
These are emerging food-research opportunities, not substitutes for medication or established therapeutic effects.
The wider implication: Food companies can explore distinct nutritional needs beyond consumers currently using GLP-1 medication, provided the proposed benefits are supported by credible evidence.
Where Food-Tech Innovation Is Focusing:
Biotechnology, material science, advanced sensing and AI are increasingly being combined with established food-production methods to improve manufacturing efficiency, ingredient functionality, product quality and innovation.
Ultrasound Technology + Industrial Fermentation
Yeastime combines ultrasound technology with conventional fermentation systems to improve production efficiency. Its solution is designed to integrate with existing tanks, helping manufacturers increase productivity without replacing their current equipment.
Protein Engineering + Food Texture Science
MicroLub develops protein-based microgels that reproduce the lubrication and mouthfeel associated with fats and oils. Its technology aims to help food manufacturers reduce fat content and improve nutritional formulations while maintaining familiar textures.
Artificial Intelligence + Food Product Development
Quartz Labs combines AI, market insights and manufacturing information to support food product development. Its platform helps R&D teams explore product ideas and assess technical feasibility before committing significant resources to development.
Material Science + Food Preservation
Klura Labs integrates antimicrobial materials into conventional food packaging to help protect products against bacteria and mould. Its approach aims to extend shelf life and reduce food waste without relying solely on preservatives added directly to food.
Digestive Modelling + Nutrition Research
Aelius Biotech combines laboratory digestion models with technologies that simulate intestinal mucus and nutrient absorption. Its platform helps food and ingredient developers investigate how formulations behave during digestion and generate evidence for further research.
Nanopore Sensing + Digital Quality Analysis
Figura combines nanopore-based particle sensing with digital analysis to assess the composition and quality of beverages. Its technology helps manufacturers identify changes in liquid samples, monitor production quality and make faster testing decisions.
Explore the technologies, patent activity, technology readiness, and commercialization progress of selected startups featured in Future Food-Tech London 2026 Report.
Human lactoferrin is a valuable functional protein, but conventional sourcing makes it difficult to obtain in large quantities. This limits its potential use in nutrition and health-related products.
Eclipse Ingredients uses precision fermentation to produce human lactoferrin without relying on milk or other animal-derived sources. The company is developing its first commercial ingredient while working to increase production capacity.
Engineered yeast produces human lactoferrin through a controlled fermentation process. The protein is then recovered and purified for potential use in different product applications.
Founded
2024
Headquarter
Australia
Funding
~$6.21M
TRL
Pre-commercial; pilot scale-up underway, first product targeted for 2027
IP
No
Website
Plant-based dairy manufacturers often struggle to match the protein content, texture and processing performance of conventional dairy products. Many alternatives also require changes to existing production methods.
Fabas develops functional protein ingredients from peas and faba beans for products such as yoghurt, ice cream and dairy alternatives. Its ingredients are designed to work with standard dairy-processing equipment.
The company combines gentle protein extraction with fermentation to improve the functionality of pulse-derived ingredients. The resulting liquid protein extracts can be incorporated into familiar dairy-style formulations.
Founded
2021
Headquarter
Switzerland
Funding
~$1.60M
IP
No
Website
Fresh fruits and vegetables lose moisture and quality during storage and distribution. Conventional packaging can help protect them but also creates additional material waste.
Bio2Coat develops natural, edible coatings applied directly to fresh produce. These coatings are designed to slow deterioration, preserve freshness and reduce food losses during distribution.
A thin, semi-permeable biopolymer coating forms a protective layer on the produce surface. It helps regulate moisture loss and respiration while providing protection against spoilage-related microorganisms.
Founded
2020
Headquarter
Spain
Funding
~$1M
TRL
| Pre-industrial scale-up; first production line planned for October 2026 |
IP
No
Website
People have different gut microbiome compositions, making it difficult to develop nutrition products that address specific biological needs. Traditional supplements often use standard ingredient combinations without considering these differences.
Enbiosis develops AI-supported microbiome analysis and nutrition formulation technologies. Its platform uses microbiome data to identify biological pathways and support the development of targeted food-grade formulations.
The technology creates computational models of gut microbiome activity, identifies pathways of interest and evaluates ingredient combinations intended to influence those pathways. These models help guide formulation research, which still requires appropriate biological and clinical validation.
Founded
2019
Headquarter
United Kingdom
Funding
~$4.80M
TRL
Commercial platform with licensing, premix and product-development offerings
IP
Yes
Website
Food companies spend considerable time and resources testing new products with consumers. Traditional research can also make it difficult to understand differences in taste preferences across regions and consumer groups.
Digitaste develops an AI-powered consumer simulation platform called TasteNET. The company states that its system can test food and beverage concepts against hundreds of virtual consumer profiles before manufacturers invest in physical development.
The platform uses first-party sensory and behavioural data to create AI consumer models. These models simulate responses to product concepts across different taste preferences, demographics and markets.
Founded
2024
Headquarter
Singapore
Funding
–
TRL
Platform live with F&B clients, first-party panel across 38 countries
IP
No
Website
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