Can a traditional Japanese spice hold the secret to better gut health? Through an exciting new partnership funded by an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher, Irish company Beotanics teamed up with Teagasc to explore the potential gut health benefits of homegrown wasabi. By combining innovative Kilkenny cultivation with cutting-edge gut microbiome research, this collaboration is paving the way to transform authentic Irish-grown wasabi into a premium, gut health-boosting functional ingredient. Discover how the research can help bring the food innovation to life.
Challenge: Market Need for Locally Grown Plant-Based Substrates to Enhance Gut Health
Wasabi (Wasabia japonica), traditionally used in Japanese cuisine, contains natural bioactive compounds such as isothiocyanates, which may have selective antimicrobial and health-promoting properties. Beotanics, an Irish company provide the food and beverage industry with access to a sustainable supply of unique plant varieties, high in nutritional and functional values. Through a partnership with Teagasc they wished to explore the potential of Irish-grown wasabi to support gut health; a growing area of interest in functional food research.
Solution: Development of Irish Grown Wasabi as a Food Substrate that Enhances Gut Health
Beotanics cultivated wasabi in polytunnel conditions in Kilkenny, using a controlled irrigation and shading system. Researchers at the Teagasc Food Programme in Moorepark used an advanced colon model and bioinformatics tools to investigate the effect of digested wasabi on the human gut microbiome. The study compared Beotanics-grown wasabi to commercial horseradish-based pastes and examined how the authentic wasabi influenced microbial diversity and metabolite production in the distal colon. The collaboration represents a scientific and commercial opportunity to position Irish-grown wasabi as a premium functional ingredient.
This work was funded through an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher supporting research collaboration between small businesses and public knowledge providers like Teagasc.
Impact: Improvement in Local Business Whilst Improving the Public’s Overall Health
Initial findings suggest that authentic wasabi may promote a healthier gut microbiome by supporting beneficial microbes and producing bioactive metabolites with potential antimicrobial properties. Ongoing sequencing and metabolomic analyses will determine the specific functional changes. This partnership highlights how collaboration between Teagasc and industry can unlock the value of novel crops, supporting both diversification in Irish agriculture and emerging health-focused food markets.
This research has the potential to position wasabi not only as a culinary ingredient, but as a health-supporting crop grown here in Ireland.” — Pat Fitzgerald, CEO, Beotanics