Food institute backs better health and food relationship

A NEW Institute of Food and Health at University College Dublin, was announced yesterday by Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith.

The institute unites 27 leading scientific researchers, 150 postgraduate students and 55 post-doctoral fellows towards the better scientific understanding of the relationship between food and health.

It is headed up by Professor Mike Gibney, a leading scientific expert in food and health research.

With the dramatic rise of obesity in the Irish and EU populations, the latest dioxin food scare in Irish pork, and the advent of personalised nutrition, he said this area of scientific understanding has never before been so crucial to the nation’s future health and welfare.

The scientific research findings delivered by the institute will inform Irish Government policy and EU policy. It will also help to promote public awareness of food and health issues. Research project leaders include Professors Pat Wall, Cecily Kelleher and John O’Doherty.

Prof Gibney said the institute’s unique strengths are its capacity to move scientific research from primary agricultural production through to food science and engineering and from veterinary public health to food safety and nutrition to food regulation and consumer research.

With public and private funding, food and health research income at UCD has grown from €3.4m in 2001 to over €25m in 2008 and accounts for almost 20% of research income at the university. Scientific research findings by the new Institute will inform Government and European Union policy, and also help to promote public awareness of food and health issues.