At the Quadram Institute we actively engage with policymakers and parliamentarians to translate our food, microbiome and health research into benefits for society.

As 2024 draws to a close, we reflect on how we’ve worked together with institutes across the Norwich Research Park to speak to policymakers and share our scientific expertise in food and health.

PhD policy placements

Our staff and students have engaged with policy work across the institute. Some of our PhD students have gained experience working with policymakers on placements. Early in the year our PhD student at the time Maria Solsona Gaya reflected on her time working with the policy team at the Academy of Medical Sciences and the importance of science policy.

Plus, our PhD student Caroline Jarvis spent three months this year working with the Open Innovation Team, a cross-government unit which works with experts to generate analysis and ideas for policy, helping colleagues review evidence, engage experts, develop policy and evaluate impact.

Updating national guidelines for faecal microbiota transplants

In the spring the Journal of Hospital Infection published new national guidelines for using faecal microbiota transplants (FMT) to treat recurrent or refractory Clostridioides difficile infection.

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital consultant microbiologist and senior research fellow at the Quadram Institute Dr Ngozi Elumogo has played a key role in the development of updated national clinical guidelines for the use of faecal microbiota transplant (FMT). Working with Professor Arjan Narbad at the Quadram Institute, Dr Elumogo has successfully managed FMT use in patients with recurrent C. difficile on the Norwich Research Park.

The primary focus of the updated guidelines is to standardise the clinical and research aspects of FMT to ensure its safety and efficacy.

Dr Ngozi Elumogo said, “I am very proud to have been a member of the UK’s FMT guideline working party, representing both NNUH and the Quadram Institute. The expertise we have underlines that Norwich is an important centre for FMT research and clinical practice in the UK, and globally.”

Next year we plan to open a new faecal microbiota transplant facility in Norwich.

Contributing to international policy on food safety

Along with engaging with policymakers in the UK, in 2024 our scientists contributed to international policy work.

Our research group leader Dr Nicol Janecko contributed to an international expert panel report on a common bacterial cause of food poisoning from chicken. The report focused on Campylobacter, bacteria found in chickens and poultry that can cause illness in humans at a low dose.

The committee, consisting of experts from eight countries across the world, reviewed the available data on Campylobacter control including scientific literature published from 2008 to October 2022 and data submitted in response to a call for data for this meeting.

The report of the expert meeting and its advice is useful at national and international levels for those in the food industry, government and public health working to control the hazard in chicken meat.

Welcoming new local MPs to the Norwich Research Park

Following the general election in July, we welcomed several new Members of Parliament (MP) to Norwich Research Park.

In August we welcomed our new MP for South Norfolk Ben Goldsborough to the research park. Here at the Quadram Institute he met our staff and students including NNUH staff in Endoscopy and the Clinical Research Facility and scientists in our laboratories.

Plus we’ve had visits from Jess Asato MP for Lowestoft and Peter Prinsley MP for Bury St Edmunds along with North Norfolk MP Steffan Aquarone on the Norwich Research Park.

Informing UK Innovate report on bacteriophages

Another key policy highlight from the year was Dr Evelien Adriaenssen’s work helping inform a new UKRI Innovate UK report setting out how the UK could make much better use of bacteriophages or phage-based technologies to help tackle antimicrobial resistance and difficult to treat infections.

Dr Evelien Adriaenssens said, “Phages offer a great deal of potential for use in clinical care when dealing with difficult to treat bacterial infections but there are significant barriers impeding progress in the UK. None of these challenges are insurmountable and this report is a helpful step forward.”

New House of Lords report on food, diet and obesity

In the autumn we welcomed the House of Lords publishing a report on food, diet and obesity.

Our scientists gave written evidence to the select committee report. We highlighted our work on hidden hunger, a form of malnutrition where we get more than enough energy from our food but there is a shortage of vital micronutrients, ranging from dietary fibre to Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Folate and Iron.

We highlighted our work to address hidden hunger across Norwich Research Park by biofortifying foods to increase nutrition, our work developing PulseON® a ingredient derived from pulses which can increase the amount of resistant starch and the key role of our Food and Nutrition team providing new and updated data and knowledge on food composition and intake.

Plus we pointed out that the broad definition of ultra processed food (UPF) is an issue. The definition of UPF was originally designed to enable a general classification of foodstuffs to quantify the effects of consuming intensely processed foods on health in large scale mechanistic studies.

The definitions do not specifically consider nutritional factors known to be deleterious to health such as high fat, salt and sugar content. We need more detailed mechanistic studies into food structure and texture, lack of micronutrients, high fat sugar and salt and the presence of additives.

Flour will be fortified with folic acid

Towards the end of this year the Department of Health and Social Care and Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs today announced folic acid will be added to non-wholemeal flour from 2026 to protect newborn babies from serious brain and spine problems.

Our Food and Nutrition experts welcomed this policy change to fortify flour with folic acid.

“This is a big win for public health in the UK,” said Food Policy Research Scientist Dr Laura Bardon.

“This is a hugely positive step and is expected to prevent around 200 cases of neural tube defects each year. In order to measure the real-life dietary impact of this new legislation we will need updated national composition data to reflect these new formulations.”

Our scientists also highlighted the potential for fortifying flour with other nutrients. Professor Martin Warren said, “This is very welcome news but we believe there is also a case for also adding Vitamin B12, given they both acts on some of the same processes and both are vitally important for neurological and cognitive development.”

We look forward to continuing to work with policymakers in 2025 to provide the latest evidence on food, health and microbiome research.