Industry Services

Business Support and Consultancy Services

Alongside our extensive academic offering, the National Centre for Food Manufacture also offers employers a range of business support and consultancy services. We have a strong track record of working with the food industry sector in the development and delivery of training courses and the provision of food business support.

Our services include new product development resources, sensory science courses (including employee quality assessment taste screening and IFST approved sensory evaluation courses), consultancy (including food production, process design, and food quality/safety skills), research programmes, and product testing and analysis services.

Technical Services

Our technical services include Sensory Evaluation Training including the IFST approved 1-day sensory evaluation course and employee quality assessment screening, new product development support, including assess to an experienced NPD technologist and NPD kitchen resources, and sales support including guidance on consumer research, product benchmarking, and market analysis.

Research and Technical Consultancy

Our staff have a wide range of industry-based experience across a variety of food sector specialisms and the team is available to support applications and projects in regional, national, and international research and development. Alongside our technical expertise, we are also able to offer business advice and consultancy. The range of support available is broad and is aimed at any size of organisation. In some circumstances financial support can be attracted to support the consultancy process.

General Business Advisory Expertise

• Small Business Start-ups and Growth Support - including guidance on legislative standards
• Business Training Needs Evaluation and Reporting 
• Design and Implementation of Training and Development Policies and Strategies 
• Staff Resourcing and Recruitment Advice

Technical Business Advisory Services

• Coaching or Mentoring of Technical and Quality Staff 
• Quality Assurance Policy and Practice 
• Business Technical Risk Assessment 
• Crisis Management and Product Recall Documentation 
• Development Support (including project management support) 
• Food Safety Advice 
• Working with Regulatory Bodies - Trading Standards, Environmental Health, and FSA 
• Raw Material and End Product Assessment Support 
• HACCP System Development and Review 
• Audit Preparation Support 
• Product Verification and Validation 
• Food Packaging Design and "Fit for Purpose" Systems Review Support

Operations and Infrastructure Advice

• Factory Building Plans 
• Machinery and Production Process Design and Implementation Support 
• Process Automation 
• Lean Manufacturing Techniques