Integrated Irish Phytochemical Food Network (IPFN)
Phytochemicals are linked with health benefits in humans; including their ability to protect against cancer, heart disease and boost the immune system. In March 2008, a phytochemical research network of Irish experts was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to collate scientific expertise on phytochemicals found in Irish grown fruits and vegetables. The network will pull together the existing knowledge and generate new information ensuring maximum benefit is derived from the collective expertise. The new research will focus on examining agronomic factors (eg. soil type, seasonal variation) fruits and vegetables, levels of phytochemicals in selected vegetables, effects of processing and storage as well as developing an understanding of consumer attitudes to phytochemicals.
Logos of all IPFN categories
The main objective of this network is to fill the urgent need to assemble existing knowledge and provide holistic information on the fate of these compounds right up to their site of biological action. This network is comprised of experts from Teagasc (www.teagasc.ie ), Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT, www.dit.ie) and several Irish universities including University College of Cork (UCC, www.ucc.ie), University College of Cork (UCD, www.ucd.ie), National University of Ireland in Galway (NUI Galway, www.nuigalway.ie) and University of Limerick (UL, www.ul.ie) and is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (www.agriculture.gov.ie) through the Network and Team Building Initiative of the Food Institutional Research Measure. The combined expertise of these groups will serve to develop critical mass and to address the existent knowledge gaps on phytochemicals in the Irish and European Framework.
One of major focuses of the network will be on the effect of agronomic factors on levels of phytochemicals in Irish grown fruits and vegetables as this area has long been neglected in Ireland. In addition, the network aims to establish optimised protocols for the retention of phytochemicals during full and minimal processing. To gain a holistic understanding of the fate of phytochemicals from farm to fork probabilistic exposure assessment models on Irish populations for dietary intake and bio-availability of phytochemicals will be developed. Consumer attitudes to new innovative products emerging from these studies will also be investigated. The outputs from the network will be disseminated to the prepared fruit and vegetable processors, food ingredient companies, fruit and vegetable growers and retailers making special efforts in technology transfer.
