Campden BRI celebrates 100 years
This year marks Campden BRI’s centenary—100 years since the first organization that is part of what is now Campden BRI was established.
This year marks Campden BRI’s centenary—100 years since the first organization that is part of what is now Campden BRI was established. Today, the membership-based food and drink research organization has more than 2,600 member companies from 80 countries.
Born out of the need for food preservation methods during World War I, the Campden Experimental Factory was established in 1919 and focused on canning for the next 30 years. Direct government funding was gradually replaced by industry contributions until the organization became fully self-funding in 1953. Around that time, work began into frozen food production, and in the 1960s expanded rapidly into all areas of food and drink processing and preservation, including related services such as chemical and microbiological analysis, fruit and vegetable variety trials, packaging considerations, consumer and sensory studies, hygienic design of facilities and equipment, publishing of guidance documents, and training of food industry staff.
Subsequent mergers brought this expertise together with proficiency in milling and baking and alcoholic drinks. Today, the company has nearly 400 staff in the United Kingdom, a Hungarian subsidiary, and an office in South Korea.