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Circular Economy Update for Minister Muir at CAFRE, Loughry Campus

December 13, 2024

The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) welcomed DAERA Minister Andrew Muir (MLA) to Loughry Campus. Muir learned about the support being provided to the agri-food industry on alternative land use and circularity.

Minister Muir at CAFRE Loughry Campus
CAFRE Staff, Paul McHenry (acting CAFRE Director), Peter Simpson (Head of Food Technology) and Fintan McCann (Head of Food Education) talk to DAERA Minister Muir MLA about innovative opportunities to reduce waste in the food processing sector.

CAFRE is working with food and drink businesses to encourage the adoption of the principles of circularity. In the ‘circular economy’ resources are reused and repurposed to minimise environmental impact. Key to this is the complete use of the food product and utilising elements that would once be seen as waste. Examples include packaging, ‘off cuts’, and peels.

CAFRE plans to use land on Loughry Campus to trial crops and plants that are not normally grown in Northern Ireland. These crops and plants will be sustainable and can be processed into innovative new products and ingredients for human consumption.

Minister Muir was shown beetroot as a prime example of a crop that incorporates multiple circular properties. The beet, peel, and leaves are ‘nutrient dense.’ They can be processed into food products and ingredients including juices, crisps, natural food colouring, and flavourings.

CAFRE Senior Food Technologist Claire Heaney showcased various food products. She discussed the circularity potential of beetroot crops with the DAERA Minister during a recent visit to CAFRE Loughry Campus.

To keep up with CAFRE’s circularity journey follow Discover CAFRE on Facebook, X and LinkedIn.

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