Teagasc showcases Food Innovation at Ploughing 2025

Visitors to this year’s National Ploughing Championships can look forward to a packed programme at the Teagasc stand, where food science and innovation will be one of the highlights. Rose Edwin tells us more.

Across the three days, the National Prepared Consumer Food Centre (NPCFC) team will highlight their work on food reformulation, sustainable packaging, and new ingredient development. Visitors can explore energy-efficient processes and technologies and learn about the latest developments in food nutrition and health.

A special focus will be on reducing food waste. The ROSETTA project shows how perfectly good but “out-of-spec” vegetables, often rejected simply for being the wrong size, shape, or colour, can be transformed into exciting new products. Carrots that never make it to supermarket shelves are being turned into ice cream, bread, burgers, and pasta. Some of these creations will be available to examine at the stand, and visitors are encouraged to take part in a consumer acceptance survey to share their views.

A selection of innovative carrot-based products developed at the Teagasc Ashtown Food Research Centre as part of the ROSETTA project.

With digitalisation becoming a major driver of food innovation, technology will also be in the spotlight. Live demonstrations will include an AI-enabled beef quality grading system, 3D scanning, and thermal imaging, cameras which are being applied in Meat Technology Ireland centre. Visitors can also discover the new “4D foods” project at Teagasc and watch a mini collaborative robot in action, showing how automation is shaping the future of food processing.

Casey the cobot in action at the Teagasc Moorepark food centre, Fermoy

The popular fermented foods and gut health stand will also return, showcasing the potential health benefits of fermented foods and their impact on the gut microbiome. Visitors can learn about studies linking gut health to athletic performance, as well as projects such as UPLIFT, which explores ways to improve sensory and nutritional properties of plant-based proteins through fermentation. If you are a regular drinker of kombucha or kefir, or simply curious about the science behind fermented foods, this is the place to be.

Milk quality and testing will also feature strongly, with John Tobin and his team showcasing how the Teagasc Food Programme supports farmers and processors through its milk standards subscription, split sampling, and proficiency schemes. This will be complemented by showcasing our research into nitrogen measurement in milk and its crucial implications for determining protein content, made possible through Dairy Research Ireland. The popular Milk Tree will be on display, mapping the wide range of products that can be made from milk, from cheese and yoghurt to high-value whey proteins.

Right next to the Teagasc stand will be our colleagues from VistaMilk research centre. The VistaMilk stand will feature:

• The Farmers’ Voice survey, giving farmers the opportunity to share their views on what research priorities matter most.
• A 3D plant model, showing the different flowers and root structures of common plants found on Irish farms.

Highlights from Ploughing 2024: VistaMilk’s Farmers’ Voice survey in action, and the 3D model showcasing common Irish farm plants on display at their stand.

Whether your interest is in food innovation, gut health, digital tools, or dairy science, the Teagasc stand will offer something for everyone, with plenty of opportunities to taste, try, and talk about the science shaping the future of Irish food.