Prepare for a new generation of food technologies

Future foods identified in the new Emerging Food Innovations report

A new report from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) highlights nine innovation areas expected to shape the UK food system by 2035.

These innovations include:

• vertical farming - growing crops indoors in controlled environments
• cellular agriculture - including cell-cultivated (lab-grown) foods
• precision fermentation – using microbes to produce protein-rich biomass for food
• edible insects - sold as whole food or ingredients
• molecular farming - using plants or plant cells to produce proteins or enzymes
• gas fermentation - turning gases into food ingredients
• 3D food printing - ie creating foods by printing layers of edible ingredients
• reverse food manufacturing - recycling food by-products into new ingredients

The Emerging Food Innovations in the UK report sets out how these technologies may influence food safety, regulation and business operations. It gives early insight to help businesses plan investment, research and manufacturing strategies with greater confidence.

Find out more about the top emerging UK food innovations: 2025-2035.

First published 13 March 2026