Plant-based ingredient opportunities for Ireland’s tillage and food sector showcased
Marking the completion of six years of research on how Ireland can produce more high value ingredients from crops including faba beans, lupins and peas, grasses and various sea weeds, the U-Protein project hosted its closing symposium on Wednesday, 20 May at Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark.
The project focused on a major challenge facing global food systems: how to produce sustainable protein ingredients while making better use of agricultural resources and reducing waste.
Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), the almost €3 million project brought together researchers from Teagasc, University College Cork, University of Galway, Maynooth University, University of Limerick and Queen’s University Belfast, alongside 10 industry partners.
Over the course of the project, researchers developed and tested new processing methods to extract proteins and other value-add nutrients from plant-based materials. The work aimed to help create ingredients that could potentially be used in future food products, while also supporting more sustainable agricultural systems.
Importantly, the project did not only focus on protein extraction. Researchers also explored how the leftover starch and fibre fractions, often treated as low value by-products, could instead be converted into useful industrial and bio-based materials. This approach, known as biorefining, aims to ensure that more of the original crop can be utilised rather than discarded.
Karl Walsh, Head of Research, Bioeconomy and Codex, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine giving a closing remark at the U-Protein Project Closing Symposium held at Teagasc Food Research Centre on Wednesday, 20 May 2026.
‘Full-crop utilisation’
The project reflects a broader shift within the agri-food sector towards ‘full crop utilisation, similar to how Ireland’s dairy industry has successfully developed value from multiple components of milk, including whey and dairy side streams.
Researchers believe similar approaches can now be applied to crops and alternative biological materials, creating new opportunities for ingredient production and export. This would directly benefit the Irish tillage sector, in line with the Food Vision Tillage Group Report which highlighted the importance of creating new value-added opportunities for the sector.
Ireland’s temperate climate and agricultural sector position the country well for developing plant and alternative protein systems, particularly as global demand grows for sustainable food ingredients and circular bioeconomy solutions.
A key highlight of the symposium was the keynote address from Zvonimir Sedlić, CEO of Nutris, who shared practical insights into building a commercial fava bean protein plant in Croatia, integrating about 500 farmers in their production network.
Professor Mark Fenelon, Head of the Teagasc Food Research programme and U-Protein Project Coordinator, said the symposium provided a roadmap for the future bioeconomy.
“By aligning our research on developing processes for plant protein production and valorisation of the starch and fibre side streams, we are demonstrating that sustainable bioprocessing is ready for the global stage.”
The symposium featured presentations and demonstrations covering:
- New processes for extracting proteins from leaf-based materials
- Development of bio-based products from starch and fibre side streams
- Future opportunities for sustainable ingredient manufacturing in Ireland
- Industry perspectives on scaling alternative protein production commercially
The work carried out through the U-Protein project is expected to support future innovation in food ingredients, sustainable manufacturing and bio-based products, while helping position Ireland as a producer of high value agricultural ingredients for international markets.
Featured image caption: Pictured (L–R): Ewen Mullins, Head of Crop Science Department, Teagasc, Oak Park; Richard Lynch, VALPRO Project Manager, Teagasc, Ashtown; Maeve Henchion, Principal Research Officer, Department of Agrifood Business and Spatial Analysis, Teagasc, Ashtown; Zvonimir Sedlic, CEO, Nutris; Micheal Hennessy, Head of Crops Knowledge Transfer, Teagasc, Oak Park; Somiame Okuofu, U-Protein Project Manager, Teagasc, Moorepark; and Mark Fenelon, Head of Food Programme, Teagasc, Moorepark.