The UK food chain, comprising agricultural production, manufacturing, distribution, retail and consumption, involves more than 300,000 enterprises and employs 3.6 million people. The food and drink industry is the largest manufacturing sector, employing 500,000 people and contributing £80 billion to the economy. It is also estimated that the food chain is responsible for 160 MtCO2e emissions and 15 Mt of food waste, causing significant environmental impacts. Energy is an important input in all stages of the food chain and is responsible for 18% of the UK's final energy demand. In recent years, progress has been made in the reduction of energy consumption and emissions from the food chain primarily through the application of well proven technologies that could lead to quick return on investment. To make further progress, however, significant innovations will have to be made in approaches and technologies at all stages of the food chain, taking a holistic view of the chain and the interactions both within the chain and the external environment. The EPSRC Centre for Sustainable Energy Use in Food Chains will make significant contributions in this field. It will bring together multidisciplinary research groups of substantial complementary experience and internationally leading research track record from the Universities of Brunel, Manchester and Birmingham and a large number of key stakeholders to investigate and develop innovative approaches and technologies to effect substantial end use energy demand reductions. The Centre will engage both in cutting edge research into approaches and technologies that will have significant impacts in the future, leading towards the target of 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050, but also into research that will have demonstrable impacts within the initial five year lifetime of the Centre. Taking a whole systems approach, the research themes will involve: i) Simulation of energy and resource flows in the food chain, from farm-gate to plate to enable investigations of energy and resource flows between the stages of the chain and the external environment, and facilitate overall energy and resource use optimisation taking into consideration the impact of policy decisions, future food and energy prices and food consumption trends. ii) Investigation of approaches and technologies for the reduction of energy use at all stages of the chain through reduction of the energy intensity of individual processes and optimisation of resource use. It is expected that a number of new innovative and more efficient technologies and approaches for energy reduction will be developed in the lifetime of the Centre to address processing, distribution, retail and final consumption in the home and the service sector. iii) Identification of optimal ways of interaction between the food chain and the UK energy supply system to help manage varying demand and supply through distributed power generation and demand-response services to the grid. iv) Study of consumer behaviour and the impact of key influencing factors such as changing demographics, increased awareness of the needs and requirements of sustainable living, economic factors and consumption trends on the nature and structure of the food chain and energy use. Even though the focus will be on the food chain, many of the approaches and technologies developed will also be applicable to other sectors of the economy such as industry, commercial and industrial buildings and transportation of goods. The Centre will involve extensive collaboration with the user community, manufacturers of technology, Government Departments, Food Associations and other relevant research groups and networks. A key vehicle for dissemination and impact will be a Food Energy and Resource Network which will organise regular meetings and annual international conferences to disseminate the scientific outputs and engage the national and international research and user communities

Food hypersensitivity includes allergies, intolerances and coeliac disease. The numbers affected in the UK are not known for sure, but about 1-2% of adults and 5-8% of children have food allergy, which can lead to life-threatening symptoms. At least one person in 100 has coeliac disease requiring them to avoid cereals containing gluten. Many more report different intolerances to a range of foods with different symptoms. These all require rigorous food avoidance - of ingredients deliberately added to foods, and additional controls to prevent cross contamination of a non-ingredient allergen in the supply chain, preparation or service / sales environment. These individuals and those making food choices on their behalf rely on correct information being provided by all food businesses - via labelling on the packaging, online information, printed menus and folders, or by asking staff. Food businesses also need to assess the risk and put controls in place to reduce allergen contamination and encourage informed dialogue with consumers. In response to high-profile fatalities in the recent years, and after consultation, legislation is changing in October 2021 to require products prepacked for direct sale (made and packed on site for later sale) to carry the name of the food, and the full ingredients list highlighting any of the 14 regulated allergens present. Allergen information for dishes or products made to order must be supplied to customers on request - in writing, or by asking staff, and customers should be made aware that this is possible - on menus and signs on the premises and online. Significant societal changes in the last decade hastened by the global pandemic has led to soaring demand for online food delivery including ready to consume meals, drinks, and snacks; one in four consumers now considers using such services on a regular basis. Food businesses have chosen, or been forced, to adapt accordingly whilst still meeting regulatory requirements to provide information at the point of selection and when the food is collected or delivered. They also need to ensure that their practices and procedures enable consumer requests for allergen avoidance to be recorded and managed, cross contamination controlled, and food prepared specially for such requests to be clearly identified when delivered. Consumers at risk may encounter barriers discussing their particular needs with staff when making such purchases. With the involvement of citizen scientists recruited from the UK public, this project aims to understand the safety, efficiency, practices, and behaviours involved in procuring food online from the perspective of people with food hypersensitivities. Citizen scientists will crowdsource their contributions towards the end goal, working in collaboration with professional scientists, openly discussing and developing their methods. The project duration is 8 months with the work divided into four objectives: 1) recruiting a cohort of motivated citizen scientists following an avoidance diet and recording their perceptions, behaviours and practices 2) mapping procedures and practices of individual food businesses engaged in online food delivery 3) determination by analysis the presence of certain allergens in selected samples procured by participants, using accredited methods 4) effective dissemination of the results in innovative and impactful ways. More specifically, the recruited citizen scientists will not only actively engage in the data collection of the food ordered at their household using their smartphones and computers but also participate in shaping the experimental design and in further stages of the scientific process including the data analysis and result dissemination (co-designed citizen science project). The project's outcomes have the potential to shape future polices in food safety, and its novel methodology will have wider applications for future studies with benefits for all involved.