Teagasc Food Innovation Gateways to take place with a twist this year

‘Food Formulation for the Future – for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system’ is the theme for this year’s Teagasc Food Innovation Gateways event.

Set to take place tomorrow (Wednesday, September 30), kicking off at 10:00am, the event is expected to feature the “latest concepts and technologies available to support food and drink companies to meet the challenges of product reformulation”, according to the agricultural authority.

The event will take place online this year in light of current conditions, with those interested asked to go to the Teagasc website to register beforehand.

Shay Hannon, manager of the Teagasc Prepared Consumer Food Centre in Ashtown, Dublin, commented ahead of the event, saying:

The theme of this event is inextricably linked to the European Green Deal which sets out how to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

The European Green Deal maps a new, sustainable growth strategy to boost the economy, improve people’s health and quality of life.

At the heart of the Green Deal is the Farm to Fork Strategy which, according to Teagasc, “comprehensively addresses the challenges of sustainable food systems and recognises the indivisible links between healthy people, healthy societies and a healthy planet”.

The event will see Teagasc experts present industry relevant topics to support food product reformulation activities including novel drying strategies, pulsed electric field technology, trends in meat and bakery reformulation, the role of packaging in reformulation and the role sensory science has to play.

The programme for this online Teagasc Gateways event includes presentations by Ciara McDonnell, an applied research scientist working with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia and by Linda Stuart-Trainor, director of prepared consumer foods in Food Drink Ireland (FDI).

Ciara will present a number of emerging technologies and applications within CSIRO to support the reformulation of foods whilst ensuring product safety and quality.

Linda will discuss the importance of innovation in relation to food formulation for Irish food and drink sector companies.

This online event also offers attendees the opportunity to understand how they can access the technology and knowledge support ‘gateways’ through which companies can engage with Teagasc, the agency says.