100 years of food and flavour innovation

Discover how the history of flavourings has shaped the modern food and drink industry across the UK and Europe.

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1910s

Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup was imported into the UK.

THE UKFA IS CREATED as the British Essence.
Manufacturers' Association.

Food rationing was introduced.

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1920s

The first truly popular Indian restaurant, Veeraswamy, opened on Regent Street.

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1930s

Spray drying was experimentally introduced using gum acacia as a carrier.

The Ministry of Food launched its 'Dig for Victory' campaign, one month after war broke out.

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1940s

High vacuum column frational disillation of natural essential oils began.

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1950s

The Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded to British scientists, Richard Synge and Archer Martin, for the invention of partition chromatogrphy, which laid the foundations of gas chromatography.

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1960s

Unilever scientists Morton, Ackroyd and May discovered that the reaction of sugars and amino acids (Ribose and Cysteine) is the key reaction in the production of meat flavours.

 

 

A million housewives every day pick up a tin of beans and say: 'Beanz Meanz Heinz'.

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1970s

The United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community.

Smash became popular in the convenience food market.

94% of milk was put into glass bottles, according to Dairy Crest. By 2012, this was just 4%.

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1980s

Tesco launched its own label range of healthy eating products, the first major retailer in the UK to do so.

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1990s

The Maastricht Treaty is signed and paves the way for the creation of the European Union.

The treaty on the European Union comes into effect.

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2000s

The Euro is adopted by 11 EU member States, but not the United Kingdom.

2007

Heston Blumenthal launches his sounds of the sea dish at the Fat Duck, bringing gastrophyics to the public's attention.

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2010s

Food Standards Act (1999) and Flavourings in Food (England) Regulations (2010) introduced.

The UK exports £18 billion worth of food and drink.

United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union.

Approx. 3.8 million people in the UK are employed by the food and drink sector.