Inconsistent raw material supply major barrier to food innovation – Food Scientists

Inconsistent raw material supply major barrier to food innovation – Food Scientists

A Food Technologist, Mrs Olufunmilola Oladinmoye, says inconsistent raw material supply remains a major obstacle to food innovation and industrialisation in Nigeria.

Oladinmoye, who is the Acting Director and Head of Food Technology Department, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO),   stated this during a panel session at the 12th Regional Food Science and Technology Summit.

The summit was organised by the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) in Lagos on Wednesday.

She said the availability of quality raw materials was critical to the successful commercialisation of food research and innovation.

According to her, many promising innovations face difficulties progressing beyond the development stage due to challenges in sourcing raw materials consistently.

Also speaking, Mrs Folashade Adeboyejo, a Lecturer at the University of Ibadan, urged universities to focus on industry-oriented research and innovation.

She said research should generate solutions that addressed societal needs, attracted investment and supported technology transfer.

Adeboyejo stressed the need for stronger collaboration among academia, industry and government to ensure that research outcomes translated into commercially viable products.

On his part, Mr Olugbenga Aina, NAFDAC’s State Coordinator in Osun State, said regulators should be engaged early in product development to facilitate innovation and consumer protection.

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Aina noted that NAFDAC’s risk-based registration framework supported startups and small-scale producers seeking market access.

Miss Jesukorede Aluko, a postgraduate student of Mountain Top University, emphasised the importance of entrepreneurship, critical thinking and collaboration in scaling food innovations.

The panelists agreed that stronger partnerships, supportive regulations and market-driven research were essential to transforming scientific discoveries into commercially viable products.

Earlier in his remarks, the Managing Director of BUA Foods, Ayodele Abioye, called for stronger collaboration between researchers and industry players to drive food industrialisation.

Abioye said Nigeria must process more of its agricultural produce locally rather than exporting raw materials and importing finished products.

He said research should move beyond publications to delivering practical solutions that could be adopted by industries and improve livelihoods.

According to him, manufacturers are interested in innovations that can strengthen supply chains, improve product quality and enhance operational efficiency.

He added that scaling food innovations required deliberate investment in processing capacity, value addition and sustainable raw material sourcing.