CONSULTANCY & RESEARCH

London Food Centre has flexible consultancy services offering hourly and daily based contracts, retainer contracts and, for long term innovation, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships involving a graduate associate.

Particular expertise includes:

production of ready meals
supply chain management
organic food
new product development
bakery production and technology
sensory evaluation
nutritional evaluation
food hygiene and HACCP safety systems design and implementation
food labelling legislation
BRC third party auditing
SALSA auditing and mentoring
EFSIS SAFE and LEGAL pre-assessment mentoring

The LFC consultancy services encompass a number of activities.

Assess Needs

Initially provide informal advice on how it can help a business.
Carry out project work over one or two days to give businesses a fault-finding diagnosis and cure facility to solve their particular technical problems.
Assess raw materials, equipment, systems and finished products and highlight where improvements are necessary.

Encourage Change

Create products utilising novel ingredients so as to inovate, compete and flourish.
Analyse production leading to more efficient use of equipment, less waste and lower costs.
Extend shelf-life and sustain quality throughout the supply chain by introducing new packaging technologies and ensuring the optimal balance of ingredients.

Improve Quality

Introduce quality assurance and management practices to improve consistency and make production conform to customer requirements.
Develop food hygiene and safety systems enabling companies to meet legislative requirements, assess risk, identify and control hazards at critical control points in production.

Services for Manufactures

Increase the efficiency, reduce waste and lower the cost base of existing operations.
Introduce specifications, monitoring and control systems to improve understanding of products and processes.
Introduce or upgrade food hygiene and food safety systems incorporating HACCP.
Develop a flexible and responsive New Product Development Programme which can create a continuous stream of new products. This includes:
- formulating products based on minimal ingredient costs and optimal shelf life
- sensory evaluation of finished products
- validation by either taste or expert panels
- post-purchase storage conditions and cooking instructions
- nutritional analysis, ingredient declaration and labelling
- detailed product costings.
Advise on customer and legislative requirements, novel ingredients and new technologies.
Provide expertise and training towards achievement of BRC (British Retail Consortium), EFSIS safe and legal or SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval) accreditation.

Services for Wholesalers

Advice on the composition of all foods, ingredient declarations and labelling.
Review supplier auditing, supplier warranties and product specification.
Review receipt of goods, storage, coding, stock rotation, traceability and order assembly.
Review delivery procedures, customer specifications, terms and conditions of trade and customer complaints.
Establish tailor-made food hygiene, food safety and HACCP systems.

Services for Retailers

Advice on composition, ingredient declarations, nutritional values and labelling of all foods.
Advice on storage, kitchen-based manufacturing protocols and packaging requirements.
Evaluating scientifically the shelf life and storage conditions of foods on display.
Establishing cooking times and temperatures and storage conditions of foods eaten at home.

Services for Caterers

Review supplier auditing, supplier warranties, and product specifications.
Review receipt of goods, storage, coding, stock rotation and processes.
Establish tailor-made food hygiene, food safety and HACCP systems.
Provide advice on nutritional aspects of menu planning.

Label Design Services

Quantitative Declaration of Ingredients (QUID)
Nutritional analysis: NAMAS accredite
Storage conditions
Cooking instructions
Shelf life information
Advice on dietary requirements; GM ingredients; allergies and intolerance
Valid product names and marketing claims, including health claims and foods for particular uses.

Services for Start-up and Micro-Food Companies

The London Food Centre runs a ‘Focus Interview’ service at a subsidised rate. Especially designed for supporting start-up and micro-businesses, the session is a chance to meet the experts and ask advice on food technology, food labelling, shelf life, storage and numerous important issues.
Many individuals with an idea have used LFC’s focus interview to take the next step forward – many are now successful companies. Use our interviews to signpost your next step!