E-Numbers v2.0

This is a historic exhibition. It is no longer available to visit and this page is only retained as a record of the previous event. For current and future exhibitions, visit our What's On page.

A food additive library on novel and engineered micro-organisms

Dates

Until 27 September 2019 (historic exhibition)

About

The Micro Food Library presents the first installment of E-NUMBERS v2.0 as a week long exhibition and event at the European Researchers' Night, Great North Museum: Hancock.

E-NUMBERS v2.0 is a new and expanding version of the 'E-Number’ or ‘European Number’ food additive system. This version however includes only biologically ENGINEERED or EDITED micro-organisms that have been genetically altered, created or re-programmed through novel scientific methods to produce flavours, aromas, colours, preservatives and nutrition as food additives.

Presented in public for the first time and new to the world, these micro-organisms have previously not existed in nature in the same way - they are born in laboratories through integrating science, engineering and computing.

This exhibition includes a number of these new and unique micro-organisms and the results of their labour as aromas, colours and nutritional additives, bringing to the forefront the changes taking place within our food landscape of a new kind.

Visitors can experience 'aroma boxes' containing the altered micro-organisms that produce fragrances of grapefruit, Valencia orange and banana.