NFX UK secures US$650,000 to expand novel foods network across Europe

Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL) has secured US$650,000 in funding for its Novel Foods Expert Network UK (NFX UK), enabling the organization to strengthen support for novel food innovators in the UK while expanding its activities into Europe for the first time.

• NFX UK has secured US$650,000 from Coefficient Giving to expand its activities
• Funding will support the network's first expansion beyond the UK into the European Union
• The network has engaged more than 260 organizations and individuals across 14 countries since launching in 2025

The funding from Coefficient Giving will allow NFX UK to build on its work helping companies developing novel foods navigate regulatory requirements, while also supporting broader collaboration between industry, regulators and scientific experts.

Launched in September 2025, NFX UK describes itself as the UK's first dedicated Novel Foods Expert Network. The initiative combines RSSL's analytical testing, contract research and regulatory science expertise with a wider ecosystem focused on improving regulatory readiness for emerging food technologies, including cell-cultivated products and precision fermentation.

Although innovation in novel foods continues to accelerate, many companies still face significant challenges when preparing Novel Foods applications and navigating regulatory approval processes. NFX UK was established to help address those barriers by bringing together regulators, industry, researchers and other stakeholders.

According to RSSL, the network has grown to include more than 260 organizations and individuals spanning 14 countries. It has also facilitated more than 15 structured regulator engagement activities while developing ongoing dialogue with both the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland.

NFX UK's activities are organized around three core areas: ecosystem building, regulatory engagement and knowledge exchange. The latest investment will allow the network to expand these activities while applying the approach developed in the UK to support Europe's growing focus on protein diversification.

RSSL says the European expansion represents the first stage of a broader international strategy aimed at supporting companies as they work through increasingly complex regulatory pathways while encouraging a more innovation-friendly regulatory environment.

The organization believes this work aligns with the UK Government's ambitions for engineering biology and could help strengthen the UK's position in novel foods regulatory science.

Jacinta George, Managing Director & VP at RSSL, said: "Our ambition is to make the UK the world's leading environment for responsible novel food innovation, and we are helping to build the infrastructure needed to make that happen. At RSSL, we bring together regulatory science expertise, analytical capability and ecosystem leadership, with NFX UK serving as the platform through which this expertise delivers national and now international impact.

"This investment allows us to scale what we have built and strengthen our role in accelerating faster, higher-quality and more responsible regulatory approvals in the UK, across Europe and, ultimately, worldwide."

Coefficient Giving said the funding reflects the growing importance of building regulatory capacity alongside scientific innovation as new protein technologies move closer to commercialization.

Abhi Kumar, Associate Program Officer at Coefficient Giving, said: "Accelerating the development of alternative proteins has significant potential to support more sustainable and resilient food systems. NFX UK's combination of scientific expertise and ecosystem leadership makes it a strong partner for driving systemic change. We are excited to support NFX UK's work to strengthen regulatory readiness, foster collaboration across the sector and help translate scientific innovation into real-world impact."

The funding comes as regulatory preparedness is becoming an increasingly important focus for companies developing novel foods. While advances in technologies such as precision fermentation and cultivated foods continue at pace, the ability to generate robust scientific evidence and prepare high-quality regulatory dossiers remains a key factor in bringing products to market.