Chair: Barbara Warburg, Pepsi Co

Technical Secretary: Craig Leadley

This panel focuses on new and innovative technologies for food preservation and processing. Its principal interests and purpose extend beyond preservation by conventional heating or cooling, and include many emerging technologies such as high pressure processing, pulsed electric field processing, active packaging and the use of natural anti-microbials.

Global developments in novel processing are reported to all RA members via the New Technologies Bulletin and regular Technology Updates on the CCFRA website. The format and content of these are steered by the panel which regularly reviews a list of over 60 technologies of interest to its members .

Investigative trials on new technologies are conducted on promising novel technologies with review presentations to the panel. New commercial developments are also reported to the panel and companies active in novel processing technologies invited to present their work.

The panel also maintains interest in the work of the UK Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processing and developments in novel food and processing regulations.

As with the other panels, this panel plays an important shaping our wider services, publications and training courses, as well as role in selecting and steering our research , supporting the research programme , and formulating the scientific and technical strategy.