Quality and Innovation

Safety, quality and research are the cornerstones of innovation, from manufacture of the base dairy ingredient, through to production and packaging of the final product.

Core to Ireland’s status as an advanced dairy economy are our centres of excellence for dairy processing research and innovation. These centres provide the platform for industry-academic collaborations funded by the Irish Government and dairy business community.

Irish manufacturers directly work with world-leading academic experts in the dairy field to develop an R&D agenda that is both relevant to the current needs of the Irish and global consumer, as well as maximising the potential nutritional and health value of the product for future diversification, ultimately ensuring maximum value of every drop of milk produced.

Work of these centres include advancement of; next generation dairy, agri and functional food processing science and technology, product cost efficiency, emissions reduction, health benefit extraction and pasture dynamics.

DII and our member companies contribute to or partner in programs, including at governing board level, such as the;

• Dairy Processing Technology Centre: The Dairy Processing & Technology Centre, a centre first established by DII & its members in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland, is based at the University of Limerick.
• Food for Health Ireland Program: combining functional and health food innovation and commercialisation, is based at University College Dublin.
• VISTAMILK Research Centre: linking agri-food and information communications technology research and industry, is based at Teagasc Moorepark, Co. Cork