The merger of the Food Products Association (FPA) with the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), will herald a new phase in the development of the National Food Laboratory (NFL), which supports new product development in the food industry, the organisation has claimed.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Kevin Buck, president and CEO of the NFL, which is an independent affiliate of the FPA, said the merger would provide substantial opportunities for growth in the NFL’s work in supporting innovation and new product development, as it becomes part of the nation’s largest trade association serving the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry.


“The merger of our parent company with GMA provides unprecedented opportunity for the food industry to tap into a creative, fast-moving product commercialisation firm,” Buck said. “Our mission is to deliver successful new strategies and value-added products, to execute those strategies quickly, and to support our clients’ products through their lifecycle with cost-effective and practical technical support.”


Founded in 1976, the NFL’s activities include new product strategy and concept development, product innovation and commercialisation, sensory evaluation, consumer research, food safety, quality assurance and analytical testing.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact