The Dairy Council for Northern Ireland hosted its annual nutrition lecture at Ulster University (UU) on Wednesday, November 20, to debate this years topic of choice: ‘Where does Food Processing Fit in Healthy and Sustainable Diets?’.
The 35th lecture welcomed more than 90 nutrition students, academics, and health professionals to the university’s Coleraine campus, who were presented with new insights into food processing industry.
Director at University College Dublin‘s Institute of Food and Health, Prof. Eileen Gibney, who spoke on the day, stressed that our food systems face the challenge of delivering food and nutrition security for both today’s society and future generations.
“Whilst sustainability is driving change, there is perhaps a competing challenge of addressing how food processing is used in our food systems.
“As we transition to a more sustainable diet, that is good for our planet and our population we also need to make sure this is safe, accessible and affordable. Food processing will inevitably play a role in this,” Prof. Gibney said.
Food processing
The professor noted that while work to date has focused on understanding the link between diet quality and environmental impact, consideration must be given around the role of food processing in this relationship.
“As we support the transition towards more sustainable and healthier diets, the role of food processing will become more evident.
“It is crucial to understand how food processing can be used optimally to contribute to a balanced, nutritious, and sustainable diet,” she added.
The academic has led many intervention studies, including those in Food for Health Ireland, which examines the impact of dairy on health.
She also studies the impact of the food environment, examining the provision of healthy foods in retail environments, and the delivery of population nutrition guidance.
Chief executive of the Dairy Council, Ian Stevenson, welcomed the expertise of Prof. Gibney and the timely insights offered:
“This being the 35th Dairy Council Nutrition Lecture speaks to our long and successful partnership with UU, as we bring world-leading researchers like Professor Gibney to local audience of academics, nutrition students and health professionals here in Northern Ireland.”
The annual event in partnership with UU’s Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), hosts a variety of leading researchers from universities around the world who deliver lectures on contemporary issues and emerging research within the field of human nutrition.
Prof. Sean Strain OBE, Emeritus Professor of Human Nutrition at NICHE, said the lecture has facilitated a conversation with world-leading researchers since it first began in 1991.
“Since 1991, we have worked together to provide access to some of the leading international researchers in the field of human nutrition, including this year’s speaker, Professor Gibney,” Prof. Strain said.
