IFR is the UK’s only integrated basic science provider focused on food, and is publicly funded to carry out independent basic and strategic research in food safety, nutrition and food materials science. The Institute has approximately 300 employees and about 60 Visiting Scientists, Students and PhD students at any one time. IFR is sponsored by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. Institute strategy is based on understanding what food has to deliver in human terms for satisfaction, safety and well-being, and translating this understanding into targets for stakeholders including government, regulatory authorities and industry. IFR’s Core Strategic Grant from BBSRC is ~£8M, with a balance of funding (about 45%) from government agencies and Departments, the EU and industry. IFR has 3 scientific themes of which one, Diet & Health, is involved in SEAFOODplus. The aim of this theme is to promote optimal health in individuals through a better understanding of the links between food, genotype and diet related diseases. This requires molecular, cellular and whole body approaches, in conjunction with social sciences. The theme is problem-driven and focused primarily on public health issues surrounding diet-related diseases. The understanding of food poisoning caused by microorganisms, and the development of knowledge-led approaches for its prediction and reduction, remain the core objective in IFR’s Food Safety theme. Research in Food Materials and ingredients is aimed at understanding how food structure determines the functional properties of food to allow the rational design of raw materials and foods for both consumer and industrial benefit.