North Essex-based ingredients company Edme has underlined its commitment to encouraging young people into the food science sector.

The Mistley company gave university student James Huscroft the opportunity to get involved in the product testing process for “WholeSoft” – an innovative type of wholegrain.

While offering the nutritional benefits associated with wholegrains, WholeSoft – produced using an industrial pressure cooker – is naturally sweet and soft to eat.

“I was fascinated by the concept of the product, especially from a thermal processing viewpoint,” said James. “So much so, my interest and curiosity lead me to use the project for my undergraduate dissertation at Nottingham University, which included research into new applications for the product.”

Bob Craddock, innovation manager at Edme, added: “People often don’t associate food with science, but there are actually a lot of complicated processes that go into most food products – certainly all of ours!

“People have been eating grains for millennia, and even now we’re finding new uses for them. That’s why it’s so important to get young talent into the industry – so we can continue to innovate and create new food products for millennia to come.”