PhD Studentship

This project aims to use a systematic approach to design, develop and test novel cereal bars for enhanced consumer benefit.  

Snacking is an eating behaviour, practiced by up to 95% of adult consumers, of increasing public health concern (1). Snacking, defined as the consumption of small food items between meals (2), is often incompletely compensated for, resulting in greater energy intake on days when snacking occurs, positive energy balance and body weight gain (1,2). Snack foods are also typically high in energy density, high in fat, salt and sugar and low in wholegrains, fruits and vegetables (2), contributing to global morbidity and mortality outcomes, not only through excess energy intake (3).

Some evidence, however, also suggests that the addition of snacks to the daily diet is not associated with weight gain, dependent on the snack consumed (1,2). Some snack foods or snack food ingredients (e.g. fruits, nuts, wholegrains) can provide body weight and health benefits through nutrient composition (3,4,5), and/or may contribute to reduced energy consumption by slowing eating rate through harder textures (6).

Snack food ingredients that provide nutrients are furthermore typically plant-based, so may be more sustainable, contributing to climate change reduction and global food security (7), and may be perceived more favourably by consumers as natural, clean and less processed (8).

This project aims to design and develop novel cereal bars with ingredients chosen for nutrient benefit, sustainability and perceived naturalness, and subsequently test these novel products for consumer acceptance and impacts on eating rate, appetite, energy intake and subsequent satiation.

This is a fully funded PhD studentship. The funding includes fees, stipend, training costs and research costs for the project.

Deadline for applications: 12 noon (BST) on Saturday 5 July 2025