| 2005 |
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YEAR BOOK |
Relay – research for the food industry
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RELAY – putting food research on the table
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In the Irish food industry, innovation is essential for business growth and survival as there is a constant need to adapt to changing consumer food lifestyles and regulatory requirements. Scientific innovation lies in transforming the results of technological research into new products or processes so that our companies can remain competitive in domestic and global markets. It is RELAY's objective to communicate the results and establish an effective dialogue between scientists and end-users of 'public-good' food research in Ireland.
RELAY, a government-funded information service, makes freely available the results of projects from the Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM), a research framework that supports innovation and product development in the Irish food industry. The projects, funded to the value of €70m by the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAF) under the National Development Plan, are executed at 18 universities and research institutions around Ireland. They aim to underpin the growth of a competitive, consumer-oriented and value added food product manufacturing sector. They focus on areas such as food safety and quality, nutrition, food ingredients, product/process innovation, consumer foods and consumer issues, that are communicated to the food industry, government agencies, regulatory bodies, professional societies and the media.
RELAY facilitates access to the information through various channels including easy-to-read research updates, workshops, company visits and the website, www.relayresearch.ie . Last year saw the launch of the RELAY e-newsletter, a dynamic and high-powered communication tool that alerts clients to news and views in the food industry and academic institutions. RELAY is very often the first port of call for clients with specific food-related queries, and, as such, acts as a conduit between food companies and scientists who can assist with the queries.
Today's results, tomorrow's ideas
The research projects undertaken from 2001 to 2004 generated a highly relevant and diverse mix of technical know-how and practical solutions that can help Irish food companies maintain a vital competitive edge. The achievements are attributed to the high level of scientific expertise available across all FIRM participating institutions. Some research projects led to the production of foods with desirable sensory or storage attributes, others helped to identify the best available food ingredients or to develop novel ingredients. With a growing appreciation of the link between diet and health, several researchers focused on protecting or enhancing the nutritional quality of food products, identifying and eliminating undesirable contaminants and expanding the body of knowledge for the benefits of functional foods. A number of scientists concentrated on optimising product shelf-life, protecting its physical integrity and ensuring it gets to the consumer safely and attractively. The research also generated fruitful approaches to dealing with food waste. With eating habits ever evolving, consumer behaviour and attitudes to food were monitored and these have given some clues as to why food on-the-go continues to accelerate and why ready meal technology is likely to expand. The successful outcomes of all of the FIRM projects completed in the last four years were recently featured in a RELAY publication entitled "Supporting Food Innovation Research Highlights 2001-2004" which is freely available to Irish food companies. Several innovations have already been adopted by food companies or are awaiting commercialisation.
While research answers many questions, new questions are always generated and this is how ideas for new research projects are born. The output of the first phase of FIRM has led to the birth of a new phase of projects (covering the period 2005-2008) in which researchers will forge ahead with new science and continue to add value to the knowledge generated thus far. Since the concerns of food safety remain at the forefront of public attention, it is crucial that all food products are manufactured to the highest possible standards of safety and stability. Indeed, earlier this year DAF issued a targeted call for researchers to submit new ideas for research specifically in the area of food safety. DAF also called for research on beverages (including functional beverages) indicating the potential avenues for future Irish food research. RELAY will ensure that you are kept up to date on all of these new developments as they emerge.
Contact: Dr. Amanda Forde, RELAY,
Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University College, Cork;
Tel: 021 4902348;
E-mail: [email protected] ; Web: www.relayresearch.ie