McVitie’s owner Pladis is looking to work with food-tech start-ups that can help it meet the changing demands of the snacking market.
The business has opened applications for the second year of its global Accelerator Programme, and is seeking technologies that could improve nutrition or make snacks more sustainable without making them less enjoyable.
Up to 12 start-ups will have the opportunity to work with specialists from across Pladis, accessing technical and operational skills and with some potentially progressing to pilot or co-development opportunities.
The company pointed out that the world of snacking is changing, with GLP-1 medicines transforming eating habits, climate pressures straining ingredient supplies and consumer expectations around nutrition rising.
“The pressures on food are increasing. The pleasure people expect from it is not. A breakthrough only matters if people want another bite,” said Pladis global innovation and technology VP Tim Ingmire. “That’s the challenge we’re putting to the food-tech community: help us find new ways to improve nutrition and rethink ingredients while preserving the flavour and texture people love.”
The company is interested in new approaches to indulgent reformulation, flavour and texture – from fermentation and enzymatic processing to sensory science and natural alternatives to common additives. It is also exploring how developments in gut health, functional ingredients and personalised nutrition could shape the next generation of products.
The first Pladis Accelerator attracted around 300 applications from five continents and led to six proof-of-concept collaborations. The technologies included Zya’s Convero enzyme, which the company says can convert up to 30% of sugar into fibre after consumption without changing taste, and Dublin-based Nuritas, which uses artificial intelligence and genomics to identify bioactive plant peptides for potential use in functional food ingredients.
“Start-ups bring specialist technology and the freedom to challenge assumptions about how food is made,” added Ingmire. “We bring a deep understanding of ingredients, flavour and texture and what it takes to make food consistently at scale.”
Applications for the Accelerator Programme close on 15 January 2027.
No comments yet