A culinary-science innovation partnership between Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) and Kepak, will see the establishment of a first-of-a-kind sustainable meat and protein research team.

This novel culinary-based research has garnered funding of €250,000 from Kepak and will see the company work closely alongside researchers who will address changing consumer trends and increased environmental awareness.

Specifically, the researchers will focus on meat optimisation, sustainability, packaging, health and nutrition as part of the strategic partnership.

A part-time PhD student – also a Kepak employee – will be solely dedicated to this cutting-edge food research for a duration of four years, with the team growing by one individual every year to a total of four PhD students, according to the company.

Using the state-of-the-art facilities in the Central Quad on the Grangegorman campus, including brand new food sensory labs, the collaboration will also facilitate consumer testing for food and protein concepts pre-development.

As well as that, it will drive innovation from the primal meat stage of the product right through to the end product, according to Kepak.

The partnership has also seen the company contribute to the university’s Transforming Tomorrow campaign, which has delivered a variety of facilities for culinary arts and science students.

The new campus, which opened in 2021, now boasts a state-of-the-art 150-seat lecture theatre and demonstration kitchen, two training restaurants, 11 teaching kitchens, two sensory labs, one food-processing hall and 18 food-science labs.

Welcoming the multi-year partnership with Kepak, president of TU Dublin, Prof. David Fitzpatrick, said:

“A central pillar of the university’s strategic intent is sustainability, with TU Dublin researchers in culinary science working to find ecological solutions to global challenges such as waste reduction and food shortages.”

And, he paid tribute to Kepak’s role in supporting this central pillar.