The Irish Diet.
The Irish Food Industry
© PDST Home Economics
The Irish Diet
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National Nutrition Surveillance Centre set up
in 1992 (UCD).
Function: to study trends in the Irish diet and
relate them to socio-economic circumstances
eg. poverty, education.
Info gathered through national nutrition
surveys.
Slán (Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and
Nutrition)
was conducted in 1998 and 2002.
Results of Slán Surveys
% people eating correct no of portions from each layer
of the food pyramid
70
60
50
40
1998
2002
30
20
10
0
CPB
FV
DAIRY
MFP
OTHERS
F
o
o
d
P
y
r
a
m
i
d
Irish dietary habits
Cereal, Bread,
Potatoes
Reduction of 6% in number eating 6 portions
cereals, bread potato. Pasta and rice replacing
potato. Not enough fibre included
Fruit, Veg
7% increase in no eating 4 or more portions fruit
and veg. 31% still not eating enough.
Milk, Cheese,
Yoghurt
7% increase in consumption but the trend is for
low fat and polyunsaturated spreads. Concerns
about obesity and heart disease.
Meat, Fish, Poultry, 1% increase in meat consumption (more money).
meat subs.
Fish still v low compared to Europe but
increasing slowly.
Others, fats, oils,
sugar
Majority (83%)consuming more than 3items
from this category per day. Unhealthy trend.
Healthy Eating Guidelines!
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Enjoy variety of food in portions recommended
on food pyramid.
Maintain a healthy weight (2002 42% males, 27%
females overweight).
4 or more portions of fruit and veg. per day.
6 or more servings of cereals, breads potatoes.
Eat 25-35g fibre per day, fruit, veg., whole
cereals.
Reduce fat particularly saturates.
Healthy Eating Guidelines
Healthy Eating Guidelines!
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Reduce salt to 5-6g per day.
Reduce sugar, too many sugary foods eaten by
most Irish people.
Keep alcohol intake inside healthy limits men
21 units/week, female 14 units/week. 30%
men, 22% women drink too much.
Age and gender obesity
distribution
20
18
16
14
12
1998 males
2002 males
1998 females
2002 females
10
8
6
4
2
0
18-34
35-54
55+
Influences on food and eating
patterns in Ireland since 1900
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Changes in farming methods, food processing
and distribution.
Class division, urban-rural divide.
Rationing due to WWI and WWII
Improvements in transport and water an
electricity services
Growing range of food due to importation
New cooking methods & skills
Food Trends 1900
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Staples = potato, home made bread, oatmeal,
boiling, stewing.
Sugar consumption increased.
Fat consumption increased due to eating meats
and dairy products.
WWI lead to shortages & increased food prices.
Deficiency common e.g. anaemia, rickets.
1930 – 1950’s
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Irish diet still relatively low in fat high in
carb., but lacked variety, food was plain and
unprocessed.
Shop food becoming more common and
considered better than home-made.
WWII rationing flour, sugar, tea.
Imported fruit bananas, oranges available.
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1950 onwards.
White bread and tea became popular.
Bacon and eggs eaten by middle class but
oatmeal and corn meal still used a lot.
Shop-bought food considered fancy and demand
rose e.g. tinned custard, tinned corn beef.
Electricity in 1950’s and 60’s meant fridges and
more perishable foods
1960 prosperity and foreign travel meant
demand for new foods eg. Italian and Chinese.
1970’s and 80s growing demand for convenience
food. Early versions lacked fibre, vits. and mins.
and were high in salt, sugar, additives.
90’s meat and dairy consumption went up and
potatoes and bread went down
2ooo’s
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Lifestyle changes mean meals are irregular, main meal in
evening, family members eat separately.
Rice , pasta, couscous eaten instead of potato.
Bigger range of bread, pitta, french, ciabatta, naan,
tortilla, foccacia etc..
Frying, grilling, roasting, barbeque, microwave replace
boiling and stewing.
Families get take-away food or eat out more often.
Influence of media travel and immigrants on food
demands.
People more aware of nutrition and demand healthy food
Still demand for convenience food but of higher quality
Some progress has been made on improving Irish diet but
there is still much to do, obesity, heart disease, bowel
cancer and other cancers are a major health problem and
all can be food related.
The Irish Food Industry
Irish food agencies
Dept. Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
 Promote agri-food sector
 Dev. Markets for Irish products.
 Promote Irish fishing industry
 Safeguard interests of all involved in
the industry.
 Implement legislation concerning fishing
industry.
Department of Health and Children
 Food safety policies
 Health promotion strategies (HSEs)
Irish food agencies
An Bord Bia (Irish Food Board)
 Promote Irish food drink and
 horticulture industry.
 Support food & drink companies.
 Develop national and international markets.
An Bord Iascaigh Mhara (Irish Fisheries Board)
 Develop Irish marine culture
 Promote seafood nationally & internationally.
 Get people to eat more fish
Irish food agencies
Teagasc (Agriculture and Food Dev Authority)
 Research on agriculture & food production.
 Advice and training re farming e.g. REPS Scheme
(Rural Environmental Protection Scheme)
Enterprise Ireland
 Promote development of industry in Irl.
 Advise on setting up or expanding small business.
 Provide grants for equipment and start up.
The Food Safety Authority (FSAI)
Irish food industry - facts
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In 2008, Irish agri-food and drink exports decreased by
an estimated 6.5% to reach approximately €8.16 bn (Bord
Bia 2008).
8% Irelands GDP
over 160,000 jobs.
There are approximately 132,700 family farms
It accounts for a major proportion of exports of Irishowned enterprise
Products are sold in over 170 markets around the world.
Structure of Irish Food Industry
9 key areas or sectors
 1. Dairy & Ingredients
 2. Beef
 3. Lamb
 4. Pig Meat
 5. Poultry
 6. Mariculture
 7. Edible Horticulture
 8. Beverages
 9. Prepared Consumer Foods
Export markets 2008
UK
 Other EU
 Rest of world
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43%
33%
24%
Irish Food & Drinks Exports
CATEGORY
2007
million €
2008(E)
million €
2008/2007
% +/-
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Dairy Products & Ingredients 2,329
Prepared Foods
1,822
Beef
1,570
Beverages
1,440
Pigmeat
368
Seafood
352
Poultry
243
Edible Horticulture & Cereals 249
Sheepmeat
184
Live Animals
170
2,202
1,543
1,687
1,246
360
352
223
236
166
148
-5.4
-15.3
+7.5
-13.0
- 2.2
0.0
- 8.0
- 5.1
-10.0
-13.0
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Total Food & Drinks
8,163
-6.5
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8,727
Major Food Exports
1.
2.
3.
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Dairy & Ingredients: 80%production is
exported to 5 continents, 2.2billion (2008).
Prepared Foods: wide range convenience foods,
fastest growing sector, 1.5 billion (2008)
Beef: 90% of production exported to 60
countries, 1.6 billion (2008).
Beverages: non-alcoholic e.g. spring water,
alcoholic e.g. whiskey, 1.2 billion (2008).
Pigmeat: 50% of production exported to UK,
EU, USA, Japan, 360 million (2008).
6. Seafood: Ireland exports shellfish, fresh
fish and processed fish. 352 million (2008).
7. Edible Horticulture: Potatoes, soft fruit ,
root vegetable & cereals, 236 million (2008).
Ire supplies 50% of UK mushroom needs.
8. Sheepmeat: 66% of production is exported,
mostly to EU, mainly France, 166 million
(2008).
9. Live Animals: 148 million (2008).
Major Imports
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Many imports are the same foods we export.
Insufficient home produce available.
Home grown produce are out of season.
Many imports are packaged in Irl or UK
The role of small food business
& home enterprise
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Speciality foods= fastest growing sector of agric-food
business.
Speciality foods are produced in small quantities, by small
businesses or home enterprise, uses traditional skills, non
industrial.
Cheeses (over 30), chutney, jam, sauces, smoked foods,
chocolates, cured meat, breads, biscuits.
Perceived to be natural, healthier, better quality.
Often rural based, provide employment, exported
produce enhance local area and Irelands rep. for good
quality food.
Bord Bia says the speciality food market is worth about
140 million (2005)
Investigation of local food
industry
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Errigal Fish are involved in the primary, secondary and tertiary
processing of shellfish and pelagic products for reprocessing,
wholesale and retail markets...
Errigal Fish Company Limited: Seafood Processors and
Exporters was founded in 1972 and is a member of the Lett
Group Limited.
Errigal's modern processing plant consists of two factories both
consisting of 8000 square meters in size.
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The facilities have been HACCP approved which incorporates:
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- 250 Mt Blast Freezing per day.
- 4 Horizontal Plate Freezers.
- 6,500 Mt Cold Storage
- IQF freezing Plant.
- Automatic Filleting & Marinating Processing Lines.
- Purpose built Shellfish Cooking lines 40 tonnes per day.
- In House Laboratory for Microbiological , Chemical &
Organoleptic analysis.
- Biological Waste-water treatment plant.
Errigal Fish Limited valued resources play a
vital role in the high quality processing that
we have to offer. Our Human resources
consist of a high calibre team who have
been with the company since its
establishment and are familiar with all the
aspects and quality standards associated
with the fish processing business.
This team consists of:
- Management team x 4.
- Administration Personnel x 7.
- Microbiologist x 1.
- Laboratory Technician x 1.
- Full- time Staff x 80.
- Part- time staff x 117.
Shellfish:
Chilled Whole Cooked Vacuum Packed Pasteurised Crab.
Hand Extracted Brown Crab Meats.
Pasteurised Cooked Crab Claws.
IQF Graded Whelk Meats:
Cooked & Fresh Frozen
Pasteurised Cooked Shell On Whelk. ( Bulot / Bai Top Shell)
Pasteurised Cooked Shell On Periwinkle. ( Bigourneaux)
IQF Cooked & Graded Mussel Meats. ( Mytilus Edulis) (Bulk &
Polybagged)
Pelagic:
Frozen Mackerel products. (Scomber Scombrus)
Frozen Herring Products. ( Clupea Harengus)
Frozen Herring Roe. ( Kazunoko)
Frozen Herring Milts / Soft Roes.
Marinated Herring. (Clupea Harengus)
Fillets. ( Saurflaps & Saurfilllet)
Frozen Graded Horse Mackerel. (AJI)
Frozen Spratt Products. ( Sprattus Sprattus)
Brands:
Donegal, Donegal Krabba, Tuskar Rock and Celtic.
Our markets are on a global scale.
The configuration of our markets include: Japan,
Korea, Sweden, France, Spain and Poland.
Wholesale, Reprocessing & Business to Business and
Direct Supply to Retail Multiples in EU & Scandinavia.
Careers in food industry
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Broad range of careers
Qualifications and training needed vary greatly
EG production operator or factory floor worker only
may go straight to work after post primary school but
dietician needs a degree.
Wide variety of certificate, diploma and degree
courses available.
Courses
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Agricultural college: farm management, agri-business
training.
Unis: degrees in human nutrition, dietetics, food
science, food technology, food business.
ITs : certs, diplomas in food science, nutrition,
dietetics, hotel management, specialised skills training
in butchering baking, confectionery, Fáilte Ireland
courses e.g. chef, waiter, receptionist, barman, hotel
manager.
St Angela’s College of Education: Bachelor of Education
degree (Home Ec), food science.
Teagasc: Farm management, cheese making etc..
Areas of work
Example of career opportunities
Supplying
Farmer, fisherman, horticulture, butcher, baker
Production
Production operator
Promotion
Marketing, advertising, organising e.g.BIM
Retailing
Retailer, demonstrator, distributor
Catering
Chef, waiter, restauranteur
Food tech.
Food technologist, product developer, food technician
Dietetics
Nutritionist, dietician
Quality control
Quality controller, food consultant, food inspector
Food safety
Environmental health officer, microbiologist, public analyst
Maintenance
Fitter, mechanic, electrician