The IFE Manufacturing Ingredients Award, launched in association with the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) to recognise innovation and excellence in food production, has opened for entries for 2027.
The award will recognise one winner, celebrating an innovative ingredient that demonstrates how food science and technology can address industry challenges and advance the food and drink sector.
As manufacturers respond to changing consumer expectations, commercial pressures and the need for more sustainable production, the award will shine a spotlight on the ingredients and expertise helping the industry move forward. It provides an opportunity for ingredient suppliers to showcase their innovation, explain the science behind its development and demonstrate its value to manufacturers and consumers.
Recognising ingredient innovation
The award focuses exclusively on ingredients, with an emphasis on both technical innovation and practical application. Entrants will be asked to explain what makes their ingredient new, how it differs from existing solutions and the technology underpinning its development.
Applications should also set out the customer or market need the ingredient addresses. This could include helping manufacturers reformulate, delivering nutritional or functional benefits, improving processing performance or providing an alternative to ingredients with a greater environmental impact.
Robert Edge-Partington, Head of Knowledge, Learning, and Communications at IFST, says: “Food science and technology underpin so much of the innovation that helps our industry respond to changing needs. Through the IFE Manufacturing Ingredients Award, we want to recognise the people turning knowledge and ideas into practical progress, and share their achievements with the wider food and drink community.”
Isabelle McKeever, Event Manager, IFE Manufacturing, adds: “Our industry is full of talented people finding new ways to improve how food and drink are developed and produced. We’re delighted to continue working with IFST to celebrate that ingenuity, and we look forward to discovering the innovations put forward for the 2027 award.”
Celebrating the winner at IFE Manufacturing
The winner will be announced on Monday 5 April, the first day of IFE Manufacturing, concluding a day of content curated by IFST.
IFE Manufacturing, part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, takes place at Excel London on 5-7 April 2027, connecting ingredient suppliers and food and drink manufacturers to explore the ideas, technologies and solutions shaping the sector.
Entries for the IFE Manufacturing Ingredients Award are now open. To find out more about the entry criteria and submit an application, visit ifemanufacturing.co.uk/ife-manufacturing-ingredients-award-2027.
The deadline for entries is 29 January 2027.