New Zealand dairy giant launches new research centre in Cork

SENIOR Fonterra Managers Dr Mark Malone and Dr Shalome Bassett were in Cork this week to launch the ‘Fonterra Microbiome Research Centre (Ireland)’.

The Centre based on UCC campus will develop novel probiotic strains with targeted health benefits to tackle unmet consumer needs for natural, evidence-based products.

Their collaboration with APC Microbiome Ireland (APC), a world renowned SFI Research Centre based in UCC, will be the first time that the New Zealand-based global dairy producer will have established a team in Ireland.

An expanded research team is currently being recruited and the new centre is expected to be operational by the end of this year.

The development builds on a successful research collaboration between Fonterra and APC over the previous four-years.

Professor Paul Ross, Director APC Microbiome Ireland said that they were “very excited” about the promise of Fonterra’s Microbiome Research Centre in their vicinity.

He said: “It is crucial for APC to forge partnerships with industry partners to translate our research into products accessible to the general public, and Fonterra’s leadership in product development and commercialisation will significantly advance the development of novel probiotic strains.

“APC celebrate 20-years of scientific excellence this year and the announcement of this new centre is a testament to this standing.”

UCC President, Professor John O’Halloran, added: “The opening of this research centre reinforces the commitment APC shares with Fonterra to develop new, evidence-based products that support good health and well-being.

“Bringing together scientists, clinicians and industry, it is another significant step forward in our UCC Futures – Food, Microbiome and Health Strategy, which aims to provide solutions to some of the most important challenges of our time.”

Dr Mark Malone, general manager for Science and Technology Fonterra, commented: “APC’s expertise in investigating microbiome-host interaction mechanisms makes it the perfect place to develop an evidence portfolio for new probiotics.

“It will serve as a crucial hub for identifying and substantiating the health benefits of our probiotics, accelerating our ability to introduce innovative strains to the market with greater speed and precision and underpinning our commitment to delivering top-quality proprietary probiotic strains with well-documented health advantages.”