Circular economy update for Minister Muir at CAFRE, Loughry Campus
Date published:
By Claire Heaney (Senior Food Technologist, CAFRE)
CAFRE is working with food and drink businesses to encourage the adoption of the principles of circularity. In the ‘circular economy’ resources are not just used once, and disposed of, but 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, not normally grown in Northern Ireland, that 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’ and are able to be processed into food products and ingredients including juices, crisps, natural food colouring, and flavourings.
To keep up with CAFRE’s circularity journey, follow Discover CAFRE on Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
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