News
What's happening at IGFS

Research at IGFS and the SBS (in which it sits) has been rated 1st in the UK in the latest Research Exercise Framework (REF) – an independent assessment of research quality, impact and environment at UK universities.

Two honorary professorships have recently been awarded by IGFS and the School of Biological Sciences (jointly) at Queen’s.

A report published by the consortium CIEL (Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock) has identified that greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if wide scale and highly effective mitigations are adopted across UK farms.

Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will co-fund research network, for the first time, underlining animal welfare as a high government priority.
IGFS and the School of Biological Sciences hosted an international delegation of early-career researchers as part of the Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine (SVEPM) annual conference, taking place in Belfast.

DAERA Minister Edwin Poots MLA, and his Republic of Ireland counterpart, Charlie McConalogue TD, today formally launched the All-Island Food Integrity Initiative (FOOD-I) – in which Queen’s University Belfast will play a leading role.

An international team of scientists has challenged the latest data linking the consumption of unprocessed red meat to certain diseases.

Investing in the ground beneath our feet could have wide-ranging benefits for the environment, animal and human health – as well as moving closer to Net Zero, according to research led by IGFS.

The Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s University Belfast has welcomed a review of the Northern Ireland agri-food system and its main recommendations.

IGFS teamed up with the UK Government Chemist team, hosted at LGC, to publish two significant scientific papers in Nature Portfolio Journal, npj-Science of Food, highlighting the increasing complexity of honey authentication.

IGFS research has found, for the first time, that people with Parkinson’s disease who eat more flavonoids — compounds found in foods like berries, cocoa, tea and red wine — may have improved life expectancy compared to those who don’t.

Professor Maggie Gill OBE, FRSE reflected on what the outcomes of COP26 mean for Northern Ireland’s agricultural and agrifood sector

IGFS statement on the challenges ensuring herb and spice authenticity
Dr John Gilliland has been appointed honorary ‘Professor of Practice’ within IGFS and the School of Biological Sciences.

As Cop26 continues to debate the role of methane in climate change, scientists at IGFS are to feed seaweed to farm animals in a bid to slash methane emissions by at least 30%.

Leading stakeholders from the worlds of agriculture, sustainability and food systems met at Queen’s University Belfast at a stakeholder evening hosted by the Queen's-AFBI Alliance.

New research from the School of Biological Sciences highlights the impact that microplastics are having on hermit crabs, which play an important role in balancing the marine ecosystem.

A researcher from the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) who led a team which discovered a rare new species of oyster is working on a biodiversity project with academics in Malaysia to ensure that it is protected.

In the run up to Cop26, scientists at IGFS are investigating a range of sustainable, natural resources with potential to greatly reduce agricultural emissions – by as much as 50%.

Can a healthy lifestyle combat undernutrition and dementia?

A higher intake of flavonoid-rich foods (present in berries, apples, tea, red wine) is associated with a clinically relevant reduction in blood pressure levels, an association that is partially explained by characteristics of the gut microbiome.

Researchers from IGFS are joining researchers from over 70 organisations on a major European project to improve the modelling of climate-change impacts on agriculture and strengthen the interface between scientific research and policy.

Chris Elliott, IGFS founder and Professor of Food Safety in the School of Biological Sciences has received a prestigious Agilent Thought Leader Award.

Researchers at IGFS & the School of Biological Sciences used zebrafish to investigate how a form of hibernation, known as induced torpor, could protect against radiation - one of the biggest challenges facing astronauts.

Cannabinoids - compounds from the cannabis plant - are increasingly used in foodstuffs and food supplements, yet confusion remains around terminology, chemical make-up and regulation. Researchers at IGFS and the UK Government Chemist delved deeper

Have Covid19 lockdowns provided the opportunity for more cooking with children, giving them important bonding experiences and teaching invaluable skills? According to IGFS researcher Dr Fiona Lavelle and colleagues, the evidence suggests so


Researchers from the Centre of Public Health involved in cross-national, public-health projects to study brain health as we age.

IGFS has welcomed the news that a veterinary school could soon be established in Northern Ireland.
The Institute for Global Food Security has been recognised for the quality of its science by an agency within the larger United Nations family.

Researchers in Belfast teamed up with the Mars Global Food Safety Center and Agilent Technologies to help farmers and producers, particularly in the developing world, more easily identify fraud. Dr Terry McGrath reflects on the experience

The carbon footprint of British pig farming has reduced by almost 40% over the last 20 years, according to a new study, using a new methodology, led by IGFS.

Cooking with young children isn't just playful and fun (and messy!) - it's been proven to help with motor skills, educational outcomes and dietary behaviour in later life. Professor Moira Dean and Dr Fiona Lavelle report
A research project to tackle bovine mastitis and reduce the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics on dairy farms – and so potentially help in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – is underway at IGFS in partnership with AgriSearch and AFBI.

As we embark on yet another lockdown, are there lessons to be learned from last year? New research from IGFS shows we changed how we cooked, ate and shopped for food in 2020 - sometimes for the better, but not always, as Dr Fiona Lavelle explains

How we shop for food, cook and eat has changed significantly during the Covid19 pandemic, an international survey led by Queen’s University Belfast reveals.