1931 the Torry Research Station was founded at Aberdeen with the help of the Empire Marketing Board, to study how best to improve the preservation of fish
1952 Torry Research Station set up a branch, the Humber Laboratory, at Hull.
When fully developed the organisation built around the Low Temperature Research Station to improve the preservation of food had its headquarters at Cambridge and four main divisions situated at the six laboratories
1958 The organisation was dissolved
1959 The laboratories were transferred to the Agricultural Research Council, with the exception of the Torry Research Station and the Humber Laboratory
The Torry Research Station took over from the National Chemical Laboratory the National Collection of Industrial Bacteria.
1965 the station passed to the control of the Ministry of Technology
1970 Transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry
1972 Transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food .