Institute of Food Research

The Institute of Food Research (IFR) is the only publicly funded UK research institute that focuses on the underlying science of food and health to address the global challenges of: 

• Food Security
• Diet & Health
• Healthy Ageing
• Food Waste

Our mission is to be an international leader in research that addresses the fundamental relationships between food and health, food and the gut and the sustainability of the food chain in order to further the production of safe, healthy foods.

The IFR is one of eight institutes that receive strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). It also receives funding from government agencies and departments, the EU, charities and industry, from the UK and overseas.

The IFR publishes its research widely in peer-reviewed scientific literature. In 2009, IFR was ranked second in the world in the field of agricultural and food sciences, based on the impact of its research papers.

We aim to maximise the impact of our research and innovation, to supporting growth in the food manufacturing sector and the UK economy as a whole.  IFR advice informs UK and EU Government policy making and the development of appropriate, science-based regulations to improve public health. An independent report on the impact of the IFR has shown that every £1 invested in IFR delivers £8.18 in benefits to the UK economy, as well as helping maintain the health of the nation.

The IFR’s impact is enhanced through its location on the Norwich Research Park, one of Europe’s largest single-site concentrations of research in Food, Health and Environmental sciences. Training the food and health scientists of the future is an important part of IFR’s mission.  

The Institute of Food Research is a company limited by guarantee, with charitable status (registration number 1058499). IFR's governance is overseen by its Corporate Members, and the Board of Trustees, who have responsibility for the stewardship of the institute.