Teagasc Expands Research on Functional Foods

9 October, 2003

The establishment of a new research link between Teagasc and UCC will enable a major expansion in research on functional foods, a Teagasc food open day was told.

The linkage involves the establishment of a new Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre with funding of €16m from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). The new centre, which will be managed by Dr Fergus Shanahan, UCC Professor of Medicine, will bring together leading scientists from Teagasc Moorepark and UCC.

Speaking at a food industry open day run by Teagasc at Moorepark Research Centre, Fermoy, Dr Liam Donnelly, Director of Food Research at Moorepark, said that the SFI award, which represents the largest ever to a research project in Ireland, will strengthen the underlying scientific base for development of functional foods.

“Functional foods or ‘foods for health’ are growing internationally by 10% annually and represent a significant opportunity for Irish companies to generate new business, which could amount to as much as €200m over the next five years,” he said.

Dr Donnelly said that legislation pending in the EU will impose strict controls on health claims attached to functional foods and will require that such claims are fully supported by research findings. He said the new UCC/Teagasc centre will play a major role in generating the scientific data necessary to support health claims.

He referred to the comprehensive research and development work currently taking place at Teagasc Moorepark, in association with UCC, on the development of functional foods.

“A new probiotic cheese containing live probiotic cultures is now undergoing industrial trials, in conjunction with the Irish Dairy Board. We are also involved in in-depth research on the milk fat constituent, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) with the aim of differentiating Irish dairy products from those of competitor countries.”

“CLA is associated with beneficial health effects, particularly anti-cancer properties, and is present at higher levels in cows fed on grass. Our research at Moorepark has found that a further increase in CLA concentration is achieved by supplementing the cow diet on grass with particular concentrates.”

Moorepark researchers are now involved in a major research programme aimed at maximising the level of CLA in Irish dairy products, thereby establishing a uniqueness for such products in consumer markets abroad,” said Dr Donnelly

He also gave details of a Teagasc/UCC study on exploring the potential of a special form of biocheese in suppressing harmful bacteria in the mouth, thereby aiding dental health.

“The biocheese is made using a unique lactic culture that produces the antimicrobial, lacticin, which has the ability to inhibit oral health. Lacticin was the subject of a world-first discovery by a team of Teagasc/UCC scientists a number of years ago. The concept of a biofood for dental health based on lacticin can be extended to functional beverages as well as dairy products,” he said

Dr Donnelly said the new centre in Cork will enable scientists to expand research which will be critically important for the development of probiotic cultures which beneficially influence health.