Fruit and Vegetable Preservation Research Station

The Fruit and Vegetable Preservation Research Station (FVPRS) was a former British government research institute, now a private research company, that has made important industry-wide advances in food preservation, notably canning.

Fruit and Vegetable Preservation Research Station
FVBRS
Site next to the former railway station in November 1988
Location within Gloucestershire
General information
TypeFood Research Centre
AddressEbrington, Gloucestershire, GL55 6LD
Coordinates52.055°N 1.754°W / 52.055; -1.754
Elevation120 m (394 ft)
Completed1919
ClientUniversity of Bristol

History

The institute, founded in 1919, originally worked with the University of Bristol.[1] The British fruit canning industry mostly began from around 1926.[2] The site found a method to can peas that prevented the peas from turning yellow, retaining the green colour. It worked in the 1930s with Sir Edgar Jones of the National Food Canning Council.

It became an independent private research company for the vegetable and fruit industry from 16 August 1952.

It merged with a brewing research company from Surrey in September 2008.

Visits

The Duke of Kent visited on Wednesday 16 November 1994, with Sir Henry Elwes; the Duke was representing the British Overseas Trade Board.[3] The Princess of Wales opened a new building on Thursday June 27 1996.[4] Anne, Princess Royal attended an annual lecture lunch on Wednesday June 9 2004.[5]

Structure

The private company is situated in the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, next to the Cotswold Line, next to a level crossing.

Testing

The site is one of the two main sites in the UK for food safety testing; the other is in northern Surrey.

In May 2005, it was one of only two British labs that could test for illegal dyes in paprika, chilli powder and turmeric. Para red and Rhodamine B had been found in supermarket own brands and Old El Paso spice products.

Training

In recent years, the site has run training courses. The research company also runs customer focus groups for the food and drink industry, to test new products; since 2015 this has been at Royal Leamington Spa in Warwickshire.

See also

References
  1. New Scientist September 1976
  2. Times Wednesday July 19 1933, page 9
  3. Times Wednesday November 16 1994, page 18
  4. Times Thursday 27 June 1996, page 20
  5. Times Thursday June 10 2004, page 35
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