Health a strong trend in food
Angela Kennedy, a native of Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, and co-founder of the award-winning Irish biotechnology company, Megazyme International, said health and well being is now one of the main trends in the market place.
This has led to an increased demand for products that offer specific health benefits and are also backed up by a health claim on the labelling.
“Functional products represent a dynamic market and offers huge growth prospects for Irish food and drinks industries,” she said.
Ms Kennedy, who was appointed Bord Bia chairperson earlier this month by Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan, in succession to Philip Lynch, made her comments about functional products during a media briefing in Dublin.
“I really think that the winners in that particular area will be those that invest in research and development, new product development and offer a nutrient enhanced solution to give the added health benefits that consumers are looking for,” she said.
A current member of IBEC national executive council and chairperson of the Small Firms Association, she said her work as chairperson of Bord Bia will be all about driving the success of the Irish food, beverage and horticulture industry.
“It is a huge remit in terms of looking at all the sectors right across from meat and dairy foods to beverage and horticulture,” she said.
Ms Kennedy, who is from a farming background, is business director of food industry enzyme developer Megazyme, which she co-founded with her husband Dr Barry McCleary in Sydney, Australia, in 1989.
Meanwhile, Bord Bia is participating at the five-day Prodexpo international exhibition which runs in Moscow until Friday. It is the largest trade show of foodstuffs in Russia and eastern Europe with over 2,000 exhibitors from 58 countries taking part.
Paddy Moore, Director, Meat, International Markets, Bord Bia, said last year’s Irish meat exports to Russia were valued at some €160 million.
