Pharmaceutical and agri-food sectors ‘should join forces’

THE vibrant food and pharmaceutical sectors should join forces to create neutraceuticals — hybrid products between a food and a medicine — to create top-of-the-range consumer products, Food Safety Authority of Ireland chief executive Dr Pat Wall urged yesterday.

Dr Wall said because Ireland does not have the economies of scale of some of our competitors and we have higher fixed costs, we have to differentiate our product on the basis of perceived value, quality and our production practices.

Dr Wall said one of the opportunities provided by the presence of nine of the top 10 pharmaceutical company’s in the world in Ireland is in the area of neutraceuticals which he described as hybrid products between a food and a medicine. “Cholesterol lowering, fat binding, immune stimulating, cancer preventing, are all categories in this new line of products. The opportunity exists to derive synergies between our vibrant pharmaceutical and agri-food industries.”