UCC student scoops top award for meat research

A BRILLIANT student at University College Cork has won a prestigious international award for meat science and technology.

Eileen Healy, 24, from Berrings, was awarded the 2006 IMS International Prize in a competition that involved 60 research finalists from 40 countries.

“I am absolutely delighted,” said Eileen, who is preparing for a Master’s Degree in food technology at UCC.

She was awarded the prize of $10,000 for her work on the use of non-meat ingredients to enhance the consumer acceptability of meat products.

The alternative ingredients included caseinates, whey proteins, soya isolates, egg albumens, pea starch and potato starch.

Eileen, daughter of Pat and Eileen Healy, has three sisters and one brother, and is a past pupil of Coachford Community College.

The youngest ever International Meat Secretariat prize laureate, she said she was concentrating on work for her Masters and had not yet made up her mind on what career to pursue.

She will be presented with her prize in Brisbane in April, during the World Meat Congress, which will focus on global trends, innovations and key issues affecting the world’s meat industries.

Delegates will also examine the strategic significance of the Asian market as well as the consequences of the WTO Doha Round for the meat sector.

The international competition won by Eileen is designed to give recognition to young meat scientists from around the world.

It is particularly geared towards those who can demonstrate achievements in research and development of a high order and who show outstanding ability to communicate the results.

IMS president Paddy Moore who is chief operations officer with An Bord Bia, said Eileen’s award is recognition of the importance placed by the Secretariat on the choice of meat science as a career for young people.

Sixteen leading international figures from industry, university and governmental research centres judged the award last August.