Previous Events
March 30th 2023: Food and the Circular Economy
On the 30th March a mix of industry and academia gathered in the Red Room of the Student Centre for the “Food and the Circular Economy” showcase. The event was the brainchild of Simon Grasso, and was funded by the Strategic Bursary Scheme awarded by the Institute of Food and Health.
The event included speakers from both industry and academia presenting under the following themes: Primary Production Systems, Innovative Processing & Quality, Nutrition & Health, Food Safety, Food Sustainability and Funding Opportunities.
Industry representatives arrived with samples of their products. Among the companies presenting were Cream of the Crop, Biosol, Olive Pork, and Revolution Farm Kitchen. The day was completed with a Design Thinking workshop delivered by the Innovation Academy.
The Strategic Bursary Scheme is an initiative by the Institute of Food and Health. It aims to stimulate interdisciplinary and/or support activities to raise the profile of the Institute both within and outside UCD. Funding up to €5,000 each will be awarded for two interdisciplinary projects, from researchers across the Institute working as a team with representation from PIs, students, and postdoctoral or research staff.
Links to each of the presentations are below:
Primary Production Systems:
Prof Karina Pierce, School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD: Press Cake Silage Vs Quality Grass Karina Pierce
Colin Marry, Managing Director, Olive Pork: Olive Pork Sustainable Sausages Colin Marry
Innovative Processing & Quality:
Dr Ajay Menon, School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD: Food Waste, Anaerobic Digestion Ajay Menon
Niamh Dooley, Head of Operations, Biasol: BiaSol Overview Niamh Dooley
Nutrition & Health:
Prof Nigel Brunton, School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD: Bioactives from Plant Food Waste Nigel Brunton
Chef Giselle Makinde, Founder, Cream of the Crop: Cream of the Crop Giselle Makinde
Food Safety:
Dr Brijesh Tiwari, Teagasc: Food Safety & Circular Economy Brijesh Tiwari
Dr Mary Lenahan, Food Safety Authority of Ireland: A Regulatory Perspective Mary Lenahan
Food Sustainability:
Prof Tom Curran, School of Biosystems and Food Engineering, UCD: BioBeo Tom Curran
Paddy Arnold, Revolution Farm Kitchen: Revolution Farn Kitchen Paddy Arnold
Funding Opportunities:
Dr Niamh McLoughlin, School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD: Funding Opportunities Niamh Mc Loughlin
October 22nd 2021: An All Island One Heath Vitamin D Workshop
Vitamin D has important relevance for animal and human nutrition and health, and it is now emerging as an important regulator of the immune response. Changes in human behaviour as well as in farming practices have important implications for vitamin D intake, and insufficiency of this important micronutrient is common in Irish adults. To ensure clarity around the evidence base in relation to vitamin D, it is important that engagement between all involved parties (academics, industry and clinicians) is facilitated to enhance communication and shape appropriate policy and intervention strategies. On the 22nd October 2021, the Institute hosted a workshop to explore these issues from an all Island One Health perspective.
You can catch up on the presentations from our speakers below:
Professor Mairead Kiely “Vitamin D through the lifecourse”
Dr Steven Mulrooney “Enhancing vitamin D stability & bioaccessibility using mixed micelles”
Sinead O’Mahony “Regulatory framework for the addition of vitamins and minerals to food”
Dr Aifric O’ Sullivan “Optimizing vitamin D food fortification strategies for older adults”
Assoc Prof Corwin Nelson “Immune and Health Implications of Vitamin D Physiology in Cattle”
Dr Eamon Laird “Vitamin D - past, present, future”
March 5th 2021: Food Processing: Its Role in a Sustainable Healthy Diet
Food processing is an essential part of today's food chain but it is often considered negatively. What is food processing, why do we need it and what are the benefits to consumers? In March 2021, the Institute held a workshop on the topic of Food Processing: Its Role in a Sustainable Healthy Diet. Bringing together leading authorities from the fields of food science and technology, nutrition and public health along with food regulation and consumer experts, discussions at the workshop revolved around the future of food processing and how it can be central to a sustainable healthy diet.
You can catch up on some of the presentations from our keynote speakers below:
Professor Dolores O'Riordan: Welcome Address
Prof Anne Marie Hermansson: Global Missions and the Critical Needs of Food Processing and Technology
Dr Breige McNulty: Link Between Processed Food Intake, Nutrients and Sweeteners in the Irish Diet
Grace Binchy: Consumer Understanding of Processed Foods: Packaged or Processed
Professor Donal O'Shea: Reducing Processed Food in the Diet - Policy
Professor Ciaran Forde: Processed Foods -The Problem and the Solution
Dr Clare O'Donovan: Reformulation for Public Health - It’s about Nutrients, not Processing
Prof Jim Lyng: Emerging Technologies in the Sustainable Processing of Quality Foods for the Future