This Showcase is an annual exhibition of new food products developed by students from the BSc Food Science and Technology and BSc Food Business degree programmes at UCC as part of their final-year research projects.

The highly innovative winning product, ‘Purity’, was produced from barley which is fermented by beneficial dairy bacteria to produce a refreshing carbonated non-alcoholic drink which is mixed with juices like cranberry and lime and packaged in striking glass bottles.  The product is aimed at health-conscious consumers as an alternative to fizzy drinks, and contains nutrients and vitamins, as well as being natural and refreshing.  Students Colm Campion (Templemore, Co. Tipperary), Emily Hargrave (Cork City), Liz Larkin (Charleville, Co. Cork), Diarmuid Mullins (Mitchelstown, Co. Cork), Aisling O’Farrell (Kimoganny, Co. Kilkenny and Linda Walsh (Listowel, Co. Kerry) had been working on this project for the past five months.

The trophy was presented by food marketing consultant, Mr Ronan O’Farrell, one of the judges, who praised the winners for their originality and product design, and added that all products on display exhibited great potential.  

The runner-up product, ‘Goji Glow’ also won the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC) Award for Best Functional (health-promoting) product. The APC is a multidisciplinary research centre funded by Science Foundation Ireland and Industry, the scientific focus of which is to study how gastrointestinal (GI) bacteria interact with the human host to either maintain or improve health or to cause disease.  This product was a shot-sized yoghurt drink which contains the unusual ingredient of Chinese Goji berries, which are known to have many health-promoting properties, and the product was specially formulated to be very beneficial for skin and beauty.  The team that developed it was Orla Collins (Cork City), Mary Flynn (Dungarvan, Co. Waterford), Mary Mitchell (Blarney, Co. Cork), Cian Moloney (Cork City) and Helen Murphy (Carrigtohill, Co. Cork).

The importance of fish products was recognised by the presentation of a prize for best marine-related product to ‘Poppy fish’ (convenient bite-sized pieces of salmon or cod in a crunchy oat-based coating) by Mr Donal Buckley of Bord Iascaigh Mhara.  The team that developed this product comprised Peter Daly (Killarney, Co. Kerry), Avril Desmond (Ovens, Co. Cork), Michael Fitzpatrick (Rathmoyle. Co. Kilkenny), Marian Lehane (Macroom, Co. Cork), Maire O’Shea (Kilorglin, Co. Kerry) and Sinead Ryan (Cappamore, Co. Limerick).  

Finally, Ms Audrey Houlihan of the AIB Bank on College Road presented a special award for the best product packaging to the team that developed ‘Omega Beef Roulade’, a novel blend of organic beef high in cholesterol-lowering omega-3-fatty acids with a herb and pepper filling; the members of this team were Amy Kiely (Cork City), Aine Milner (Dunmanway, Co. Cork), Darren O’Sullivan (Cork City), Sarah O’Sullivan (Cork City), Robert Smyth (Midleton, Co. Cork) and Jia Xuan (originally from China, now Cork city).

The Showcase, sponsored by Limerick County Enterprise Board and the UCC/Food Industry Partnership Board, was attended by many visitors from the food industry and other invited guests, as well as staff and students of UCC, who tasted and viewed the selection of products.  This year the products came from the dairy, meat, beverage, and fish sectors.  Mr Michael Cantwell, representing the Limerick County Enterprise Board, advised the students of the opportunities that exist for future development and commercialisation of food products by young food entrepreneurs. 

The Showcase was jointly organised by Dr Joe Bogue of the Department of Food Business and Development and Profs Yrjo Roos and Alan Kelly of the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences.

Photograph shows winning team members: Front: Linda Walsh and Emily Hargrave. Middle row: Liz Larkin and Colm Campion. Back row: Diarmuid Mullins and Aisling O'Farrell.

1021MMcS

<<Previous ItemNext Item>>

« Back to 2009 Press Releases