Working With Interface - Macphie

Working with Interface Food and Drink

Macphie is committed to creating innovative premium products that support our customers in both versatility and ease of use.  We have a large and highly skilled Research and Development department based at both Glenbervie and Tannochside sites, but in addition, we benefit from the resources and skills based within Scotland’s Universities.
This valuable additional support is made available through a body funded by the Scottish Funding Council called Interface Food and Drink, which liaises between 17 Scottish universities and the food industry.  They offer the following skills:

  • They match food and drink companies to the University departments with the appropriate skills and research interests.
  • They manage and create interdisciplinary and multi-partner collaborative projects, offer impartial advice and can also project manage between services.
  • They administer and manage a range of funding schemes internally as well as advising helping companies understand what is available in terms of additional funding, grants and support. These can be used to drive innovation and deliver of new products, processes and services.

Macphie has been a very active participant with Interface Food and Drink with four projects supported by Interface Food and Drink;

  • A project funded by a Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher with University of Edinburgh to investigate novel and new emulsions in order to create ‘cleaner labels’ products.
  • A short KTP with Glasgow Caledonian University to develop natural emulsifiers rather than those containing ‘E’ numbers and derived from hydrogenated fats
  • Glasgow Caledonian University  worked with Macphie to review the interface between the production process and the pack filling process and packaging life cycles to identify opportunities to reduce costs, improve environmental aspects and to increase efficiency in distribution.
  • Working with The Rowett Institute within the University of Aberdeen to investigate non- hydrogenated oils to improve handling and storage processes ultimately aimed at achieving the Food Standard Agency’s guidelines of reducing saturated fat content.

Helen Pratt of Interface Food & Drink said. ‘Interface seeks to encourage a culture where the food industry realises that solutions to industry problems can be found at Scotland’s Universities. Macphie is shining a light in the way that it has engaged with the Universities and is an exemplar of what companies can achieve through innovation’.