Functional Foods Project

Functional Food is a food that has added health or even medicinal qualities. Commonly known functional foods include probiotic drinks, cereals with added vitamins and spreads with omega oils. These all provide health benefits of one kinds which have been added to the original product.

Healthy eating is a growing trend. Increased awareness and knowledge is fuelling the public's interest and demand for foods which can provide real health benefits. The ICBAN Functional Food Project aimed to increase business competitiveness in the ICBAN region by being responsive to market demand through new processes or products which have a functional food value.

This initiative project aimed to enhance innovation capacity in the food sector through a four stage process of 'Information Dissemination', 'Audits and Needs Analysis', 'People development' and 'Development Plans' over eighteen months  facilitated by ICBAN and driven by Loughry College, the NI Centre for Food and Health (NICHE at UU Coleraine) and St Angela's College Sligo

Twenty companies recieved audits on their products, processes and business management. A series of master classes were open to these and other food businesses. Finally, a number of companies were selected for a special award, to proceed to functional food development, either by product development or the adoption of new processes. The total award fund was € 80,000.

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