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Irish cheddar and fermented dairy ingredients are set to take centre stage in research into health enhancing ingredients.
Food for Health Ireland has secured five years worth of funding from Entreprise Ireland – €7.2m from Irish dairy partners and another €7.2 from competitive sources – to develop health enhancing dairy-based food.
The global market for functional food is forecast to be worth more than €250bn by 2023, with consumers looking for health-enhancing ingredients to come in food, not pills
The initiative is based in UCD and includes dairy partners Carbery, Dairygold, Glanbia and Kerry Group. Food for Health Ireland says it is now primed to expand and collaborate with a variety of enterprises, including start-ups and small and medium enterprises.
Benefits of cheese
“The global market for functional food is forecast to be worth more than €250bn by 2023, with consumers looking for health-enhancing ingredients to come in food, not pills, according to GlobalData,” a Food for Health Ireland statement reads.
“Our three focus areas for the next five years involve researching the metabolic and cardiovascular benefits of Irish cheddar; creating differentiation in Irish grass-fed dairy on the basis of nutrition, health benefits and sensory attributes; and developing fermented dairy ingredients to enhance digestive health.”
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