TResearch Spring 2022
Type Magazine
Put to good use - Researchers are using innovative processes and consumer insights to help combat food waste
Download Publication (PDF)
In this edition:
Interview
Nip in the bud - Pigs’ tails are commonly docked to prevent tail biting, but a crackdown on this problematic practice means alternative solutions are needed. Teagasc Research Officer Keelin O’Driscoll has been leading projects in this area, to find a sustainable solution to the tail biting challenge.
Getting to know
Sinéad McCarthy - Sinéad McCarthy leads Teagasc’s consumer behaviour research programme, in relation to food and health. Here, we find out more about Sinéad and her interests inside and outside of work.
Team Spotlight
Progress in potato production for Eritrea - Teagasc, Irish NGO Vita, IPM Potato Group and the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) of Eritrea have introduced a new variety of potato seed – Electra – to Eritrea, successfully improving the country’s potato seed sector.
To learn more about the project and its impact on communities in Eritrea, we speak to Head of Horticultural Research at NARI Eritrea Medhanie Mehari, Teagasc and University College Dublin PhD Student Fitsum Ghebremeskel, Head of Programmes at Vita John Gilliland and Teagasc Research Officer Denis Griffin.
External Insight
A positive performance from PCF - State agency Bord Bia has been tracking the performance of Prepared Consumer Foods (PCF) exports, as it supports the growth of Irish companies in this valuable market.
Back in time
Celebrating 60 years of research - 60 years on since the first issue of the Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research was published, a special issue highlighting the scientific advancements made over this time has been published.
Look ahead
Food innovation for the future - Teagasc has invested in new infrastructure to support innovation within the Irish food and drink industry.
Photo finish
Anti-inflammatory Algae - Bioactives found within brown algae contain anti-inflammatory properties that also help to reduce pain. As part of its Algae4IBD project, Teagasc is using novel processing methods to extract the compounds that offer these benefits, to develop functional food products.
Also in this edition
Something to cheers to: the value in beer waste - Teagasc researchers are working with the University of Helsinki to find ways to turn spent grain waste from beer production into functional food ingredients.
Eucalyptus: a favoured filler - Demand for Eucalyptus within the cut foliage sector has increased, leading researchers at Teagasc to look at ways to improve the quality of Eucalyptus trees grown specifically for this purpose.
Raising awareness of data on the farm - The AgriDISCRETE project is raising farmers’ awareness of data by co-designing communication materials that explain what data on the farm is and how it’s shared.
Waste not, want not - Food waste is a big problem contributing to declining resources and climate change. To try to curb this, researchers from Teagasc and National University of Ireland, Galway are providing insights into food waste behaviour.
Making a moo-ve on spring grass - Researchers at Teagasc highlight how utilising grazed grass during the spring can make farmers more sustainable and profitable.
Weather, workload and money - Researchers at Teagasc and Cork University Business School have determined and evaluated sources of stress for farmers, by looking at the impact of both internal and external pressures on stress and wellbeing.
A coloured view of beef - By integrating information from different datasets, Teagasc has successfully published the world’s first collection of protein biomarkers (biological measures of a biological state) for dark-cutting beef, improving understanding of what leads to this colour defect.
A way of life - By exploring the benefits of developing a national social organisation for the older generation of the farming community, an age-friendly environment can be created in the farming sector.
Wheat stem rust: the return of an old foe - The reappearance of stem rust on wheat in Ireland after decades of no reports led researchers to investigate the cause behind recent outbreaks of the disease.
The right tools for the job - A fruitful collaboration between researchers at Teagasc and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation has led to the development of three interdependent tools to support beef-on-dairy breeding, mating and trading
The threat of Toombak in Sudan - Researchers from Ireland and Sudan have partnered up to shed light on the health implications of one of the world’s most perilous types of smokeless tobacco.