Government review features contribution from York
Posted on Monday 14 July 2025
Professor Avtar Matharu contributed In focus: High value-added chemicals from unavoidable food supply chain wastes to The Government Chemistry Review Annual Report for 2023, which has recently been ordered for print by the House of Commons.
The annual report is conducted by the Government Chemist programme, part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. It plays a vital role in advising the food industry and carries out research primarily in the food and feed sectors.
Professor Matharu explained how he hopes his contribution to the annual report might have an impact. He said: “Ensuring safe and sustainable food supply and food security is a huge global challenge, so it’s great to be able to present these findings to parliament and policy-makers.
“Around a third of the food we grow is lost between harvesting and processing, but that waste can be re-imagined as a source of chemicals and materials that may be re-introduced into our food systems enabling the development of circular, biobased economies.
“It’s vital policy makers are aware of this, and being part of this annual report is potentially very powerful in raising that awareness.”