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Media

Covid-19 & Food podcast series

News stories / press releases

Other IGFS podcasts

Podcasts

Media coverage - see below

Media Coverage

Find out which of our stories have been making local, national & international news headlines

Jan 2021
Food for Thought

This month the big story came out of research led by Dr Fiona Lavelle on the effects of the Covid19 pandemic and associated lockdowns on how we eat, cook and shop for food. This attracted national & international coverage including the Irish Times, New Food magazine and India Education Diary. Dr Lavelle also wrote a corresponding article for The Conversation UK.

04 Jan, The Conversation How we cook changed during lockdown – and we can learn from this for life after the pandemic (theconversation.com)

04 Jan, Yahoo! Style How we cook changed during lockdown – and we can learn from this for life after the pandemic (yahoo.com)

04 Jan, healthnewsdigest.com  HealthNewsDigest.com

05 Jan, India Education Diary Food behaviour in UK, Ireland and beyond altered significantly during Covid19 | India Education,Education News India,Education News | India Education Diary

05 Jan, Hippocratic Post Impact of COVID-19 on food behaviour - The Hippocratic Post

05 Jan, Belfast Telegraph Covid has stirred up our cooking habits, study led by QUB reveals - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

05 Jan, Agriland Researchers find food behaviour in UK and Ireland altered ‘significantly’ during Covid-19 - Agriland.co.uk

05 Jan, Enterprise magazine (hard copy only)

06 Jan, New Food magazine Survey reveals an increase in vegetable intake during pandemic (newfoodmagazine.com)

06 Jan, The Irish News Food behaviour in UK and Ireland altered significantly during Covid-19 - The Irish News

06 Jan, dentalhealth.ie New study reveals an increase in vegetable intake during pandemic | Dental Health Foundation

07 Jan, The Irish Times How Covid-19 changed what Ireland eats and cooks (irishtimes.com)

07 Jan, The Galway Advertiser Advertiser.ie - The pandemic has significantly changed how we shop, cook, and eat

07 Jan, De Standaard (German newspaper) Double-page-spread news feature 

08 Jan, Kildare FM radio https://soundcloud.com/kfmradiokildare/kildare-focus-080121

11 Jan, Shannonside FM radio  https://www.shannonside.ie/podcast/the-joe-finnegan-show/podcast-changing-food-habits-pandemic/

12 Jan, The Sligo Champion (hard copy only)

12 Jan, Farm Week Food behaviour in UK, Ireland and beyond altered significantly during Covid-19 | FarmWeek

14 Jan, Footprint More veg, fewer takeaways: how covid is changing... (foodservicefootprint.com)

  

Two-tier rice fraud detection system (Prof Chris Elliott)

08 Jan, Food Navigator Grains of truth: scientists unveil near 100% accurate testing to tackle rice fraud (foodnavigator.com)

XX Jan, New Food (feature article by Dr Terry McGrath)

Read more Read less

Dec 2020
Animal Health Breakthrough

A new test for Johne's Disease, an illness that affects cattle, has been pioneered by Professor Irene Grant and her team at IGFS and could be a game-changer for farmers, vets and the dairy industry.

30 Nov, Ontario Farmer New test for Johne’s Disease could be a game-changer | Ontario Farmer

30 Nov, The Scottish Farmer New test for Johne’s Disease | The Scottish Farmer

30 Nov, FarmingUK.com New test for Johne's Disease 'a game changer' for farmers - FarmingUK News

30 Nov, Feedstuffs.com New test for Johne’s disease could be game-changer | Feedstuffs

1 Dec, Farmers Weekly Scientists develop quicker, more accurate Johne's test - Farmers Weekly (fwi.co.uk)

1 Dec, MRCVS MRCVSonline | New Johne's disease test developed

1 Dec, TWNews.co.uk Scientists develop quicker, more accurate Johne’s test (twnews.co.uk)

1 Dec, eFeedlink.com eFeedLink - New test developed for Johne's Disease in dairy cattle

2 Dec, Downtown Radio News (no link available)

3 Dec, Farm Week New Johne's Disease test could be a game-changer | FarmWeek

4 Dec, AgriOrbit.com New test for Johne’s disease could be a game-changer – AgriOrbit

4 Dec, BizCommunity.com New test for Johne's disease could be a game-changer (bizcommunity.com)

5 Dec, BizCommunity.Africa New test for Johne's disease could be a game-changer (bizcommunity.com)

5 Dec, The Southern Star newspaper (hard copy only)

6 Dec, Cape Business News New test for Johne’s disease could be a game-changer | Cape Business News (cbn.co.za)

6 Dec, Farming Life New test for Johne’s Disease | Farming Life

7 Dec, Agriland.co.uk New test for Johne’s disease branded ‘game-changer’ for farmers - Agriland.co.uk

7 Dec, Agriland.ie New test for Johne’s disease branded 'game-changer' for farmers - Agriland.ie

9 Dec, FoodForMzansi.co.za New Johne’s disease test could be available in SA by 2021 | Food For Mzansi

11 Dec, Farmers Guardian (hard copy only)

31 Dec, Bridgnorth Journal (hard copy only)

 

Read more Read less

Artists impression of HAT-P-7b
Nov 2020
Space Odyssey

The big hitter this month was research from Prof Gary Hardiman and Dr Willian da Silveira that establishes a new link between geriatric health symptoms observed in astronauts and damage to the mitochondrial function of human cells - and how targeted nutrition could help mitigate these issues. 

25 Nov, 'i' newspaper Scientists examine why travelling through space, exposure to radiation and micro-gravity 'accelerate ageing' (inews.co.uk)

25 Nov, EurekAlert! Space travel can adversely impact energy production in a cell | EurekAlert! Science News

25 Nov, Newswise.com Research finds new link between cell damage in astronauts and geriatric-type health problems observed during space missions (newswise.com)

25 Nov, Science Daily Space travel can adversely impact energy production in a cell -- ScienceDaily

25 Nov, IndiaTVNews.com New research finds cell damage in astronauts geriatric-type health issues during space missions | New News – India TV (indiatvnews.com)

25 Nov, MSN.com Scientists examine why travelling through space, exposure to radiation and micro-gravity ‘accelerate ageing’ (msn.com)

25 Nov, ITV.com Outcome of new research could be ‘game changer’ for future space missions | UTV | ITV News

25 Nov, BrightSurf.com Space travel can adversely impact energy production in a cell (brightsurf.com)

25 Nov, SpaceRef.com Space travel can adversely impact energy production in a cell (spaceref.com)

25 Nov, IndexDigital Index Digital | astronauts---health-problems-observed-during-space-missions

25 Nov, liveforever.club Decoded - why travelling through space can make you older (liveforever.club)

25 Nov, ScienMag.com Space travel can adversely impact energy production in a cell | Scienmag: Latest Science and Health News

25 Nov, Fidonet Portal Fidonet Portal: earth » Space travel can adversely impact energy (3bsoft.com)

30 Nov, Select Science Link between cell damage in astronauts and geriatric-type he (selectscience.net)

30 Nov, TechNewsDirt.com Industry News: New link between cell damage in astronauts and geriatric-type health problems observed in space – Tech News Dirt

30 Nov, Tunisiesoir.com Space: Space travel can adversely impact energy production in a cell - Tunis Daily News (tunisiesoir.com)

 

IGFS in FestivalUK 2022 bid shortlist

15 Nov, Farming Life QUB joins bid for Festival UK 2022 | Farming Life

18 Nov, BuyNIFood.com Queen's University scientists partner with GBBO star Andrew Smyth & Jamie Oliver Group for UK Festival bid | Buy NI Food, Northern Ireland Food

18 Nov, Ulster Grocer Queen’s University partners with GBBO star for festival bid     - Ulster Grocer | Ulster Grocer

26 Nov, napier.ac.uk FestivalUK*2022 University partners with QUB, GBBO star Andrew Smyth and Jamie Oliver Group for UK Festival bid (napier.ac.uk)

26 Nov, eea.org.uk Announcement: EEA and FestivalUK*2022 | EEA

5 Dec, the Ulster Star newspaper (hard copy only)

13 Dec, Farm Week Queen's scientists partner with baking star for UK Festival bid | FarmWeek

Read more Read less

Oct 2020
Sage advice

Our research into popular herb sage - which revealed at least one in four samples to be fraudulent - gained widespread media coverage including the Daily Mail, BBC Radio 4, Yahoo!, The Conversation UK & MSN.

21 Oct, New Food Fraud in herbs and spices hasn’t vanished - New Food Magazine

23 Oct, The Daily Mail Herby fraud: One in four samples of sage contain the leaves of other plants, study finds | Daily Mail Online

23 Oct, Food Navigator How safe is your sage? Study uncovers high levels of adulteration (foodnavigator.com)

27 Nov, Radio 4, (25mins in) https://bbc.in/36nbXt3

22 Oct, Belfast Telegraph QUB research finds sage to be 'heavily adulterated' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

23 Oct, Food Authenticity (blog) Search Results - News - FoodAuthenticity

25 Oct, Yahoo India/Canada/Singapore/Lifestyle An Alarming Amount of This Popular Herb Is Tampered With, New Study Finds (yahoo.com)

26 Oct, India Education Diary Popular herb Sage found to be heavily adulterated in Queen’s University Belfast study | India Education,Education News India,Education News | India Education Diary

30 Oct, New Food McCormick responds to Queen’s University Belfast sage findings (newfoodmagazine.com) 

9 Nov, Hippocratic Post Sage news - The Hippocratic Post

23 Dec, The Conversation UK Are your Christmas spices fake? We developed a technique that can find out (theconversation.com)

  • 30+ more items of national/international media

 

IGFS researchers help contain food-safety crisis in aid to Africa (Prof Chris Elliott)

08 Oct 2020, Agriland https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/qub-food-fraud-scientists-support-major-african-food-security-investigation/

08 Oct 2020, India Education Diary https://indiaeducationdiary.in/queens-university-belfast-scientists-support-major-food-security-investigation-in-aid-to-africa/

09 Oct 2020, Technology Networks https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/major-food-safety-investigation-averts-further-foodborne-illness-from-african-aid-341399

09 Oct 2020, Food Engineering magazine (USA) https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/99144-when-lifesaving-humanitarian-food-aid-makes-people-sick

09 Oct 2020, New Food magazine https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/news/121494/food-contamination/

11 Oct 2020, Hippocratic Post https://www.hippocraticpost.com/out-of-africa/major-food-security-investigation-in-aid-to-africa/

13 Oct 2020, Food Safety News https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2020/10/researchers-show-ugandan-outbreaks-caused-by-single-batch-of-food-aid/

  • 10+ more items of coverage

 

Zero carbon target for UK farmers - report (mentions IGFS research)

15 Oct 2020, Farm Week (hard-copy only)

15 Oct 2020, Engineers Ireland https://www.engineersireland.ie/Engineers-Journal/News/major-agri-report-highlights-difficulty-of-uk-net-zero-carbon-target

 

'Focus on Farmers' seminar series (featuring IGFS, mentions Prof Nigel Scollan)

10 Oct 2020, Farming Life https://www.farminglife.com/country-and-farming/focus-farmers-very-proving-popular-2998708

14 Oct 2020, Agrisearch.co.uk https://www.agrisearch.org/news

17 Oct 2020, Agriland.co.uk https://www.agriland.co.uk/farming-news/sixth-online-farm-walk-lost-on-the-journey-does-eating-quality-of-beef-matter 

Read more Read less

Aug 2020
Talking turkey

This month, a story about a shared research project between IGFS and agri technology firm, Devenish, got solid pick-up in the farming press.

In what's believed to be the world's first longitudinal study into the link between naturally occuring 'mycotoxins' and poultry performance, a strong link was found between even low levels of the toxin and performance.

The Poultry Site, 11 Aug https://thepoultrysite.com/news/2020/08/new-study-shows-direct-link-between-low-mycotoxin-levels-and-broiler-performance

Agri Land, 12 Aug https://www.agriland.co.uk/farming-news/belfast-study-shows-even-minimal-mycotoxin-levels-impact-broiler-performance/

Poultry Network, 11 Aug https://poultry.network/4091-research-links-low-levels-of-mycotoxins-to-poorer-broiler-performance/

Poultry News, 12 Aug http://www.poultrynews.co.uk/news/research-unveils-direct-link-between-low-levels-of-mycotoxins-and-poultry-performance.html

Poultry World, 18 Aug https://www.poultryworld.net/Health/Articles/2020/8/Even-low-levels-of-mycotoxins-impact-bird-performance-628205E/

Farming Life, 15 Aug https://www.farminglife.com/country-and-farming/results-reveal-effect-mycotoxins-poultry-2942756

Read more Read less

July 2020
ASSET centre recognised

The big story this month was the recognition of the ASSET lab at IGFS as a 'Centre for Expertise' by the Food Authenticity Network - a UK Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs initiative.

 

www.foodauthenticity.uk, 9 July http://www.foodauthenticity.uk/blog/three-new-food-authenticity-centres-of-expertise-added

New Food magazine, 29 July https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/article/115306/industry-responds-to-part-one-of-the-national-food-strategy/

Read more Read less

June 2020
Honorary professorship

News this month was dominated by the awarding by Queen's University Belfast of the honorary title, Professor of Practice, on longtime IGFS supporter & collaborator, Dr Michael Walker

www.lgcgroup.com, 26 June https://www.lgcgroup.com/newsroom-and-blog/news-and-blog/michael-walker-honoured-by-queens-university/

agriland.co.uk, 5 June https://www.agriland.co.uk/farming-news/open-letter-on-the-value-of-animal-agriculture-penned-by-a-global-farming-community/

newfoodmagazine.com, 29 June (op-ed by Prof Chris Elliott) https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/article/112889/coronavirus/

plantbasednews.org, 29 June (extensively quotes above article) https://www.plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/migrant-workers-slaughterhouses-covid-19-hotspots

Read more Read less

May 2020
Covid-19 & Food

This month, the link between the coronavirus pandemic and global food systems became more apparent with a number of media items addressing the correlation.

Impact of Covid-19 on food landscape

Psychology Today, 11 May (quotes Prof Moira Dean) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smart-people-don-t-diet/202005/food-thought-during-the-pandemic

The 'i' paper, 06 May (quotes Prof Chris Elliott) https://inews.co.uk/news/coronavirus-vitamin-d-diet-oily-fish-dairy-liver-covid-19-425415

 

IGFS-ECIT poultry project wins funding from McDonald's (Prof Niamh O'Connell)

Farmers Weekly, 30 May https://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/poultry/broilers/why-camera-technology-could-transform-broiler-management

 

Read more Read less

April 2020
Spinout success

News of IGFS' latest commercial food-diagnostics spinout, Cibus Analytic, hit local headlines this month, Read More for details.

Dr Danielle McCarthy also saw great success from her article for The Conversation - it quickly rose to the Top 10 most-read articles on The Conversation from Queen's University.

IGFS launches new diagnostics spinout company, Cibus Analytical (Prof Chris Elliott, Dr Simon Haughey, Dr Terry McGrath, Pamela Galvin-King)


The Irish News, 08 April http://www.irishnews.com/business/2020/04/08/news/cibus-raises-570-000-seed-funding-in-fight-to-stop-food-fraud-1895877/

BusinessEye.co.uk, 08 April http://www.businesseye.co.uk/cibus-analytical-raises-570000-seed-fundingq/

Foodauthenticity.uk, 08 April http://www.foodauthenticity.uk/blog/list/tag/cibus+analytical

Syncni.com, 08 April https://syncni.com/article/4062/belfast-based-cibus-analytical-raises-570-000-for-food-fraud-testing-technology

Foodvoices.co.uk, 08 April http://www.foodvoices.co.uk/cibus-analytical-raises-570000-seed-funding-ahead-of-launching-new-food-fraud-testing-service/

Frozenandchilledfoods.com, 08 April https://www.frozenandchilledfoods.com/2020/04/cibus-analytical-raises-570000-seed-funding-ahead-of-launching-new-food-fraud-testing-service/

Ulster Grocer, 09 April https://www.ulstergrocer.com/2020/04/cibus-analytical-to-launch-new-food-fraud-testing-service/

InsiderMedia.com, 09 April https://www.insidermedia.com/news/ireland/food-testing-specialist-completes-six-figure-seed-funding-round

Food & Drink Business Europe, 14 April https://www.fdbusiness.com/belfast-based-cibus-analytical-raises-570000-seed-funding-in-fight-to-stop-food-fraud/

Farm Week, 23 April https://farmweek.com/food-testing-specialist-gains-seed-funding/

 

Home Cooking Means Healthier Eating (Dr Danielle McCarthy)

The Conversation, 27 April https://theconversation.com/home-cooking-means-healthier-eating-theres-an-opportunity-to-change-food-habits-for-good-136881

 

Play-fighting Helps Equip Animals for Later Life (Dr Gareth Arnott)

The Conversation, 28 April https://theconversation.com/play-fighting-helps-equip-animals-for-later-life-new-research-136969

 

Read more Read less

March 2020
IGFS board member honoured

This month saw longtime IGFS supporter (and a member of the IGFS Industry Advisory Board) and NI agrifood industry leader, Declan Billington, honoured with a professorship at Queen's University for his work on Brexit negotiations and furthering partnerships between the agrifood industry and academic research.

The Irish News, 10 March http://www.irishnews.com/business/2020/03/10/news/top-businessman-and-agri-food-expert-honoured-by-queen-s-1862874/ 

 

contd.

Agriland, 10 March https://www.agriland.co.uk/farming-news/top-ni-businessman-and-agri-food-expert-honoured-by-queens-university/ 

Ulster Grocer, 31 March https://www.ulstergrocer.com/2020/03/agri-food-expert-honoured-by-queens-university/

northernirelandchamber.com, 10 March http://www.northernirelandchamber.com/member-news/top-ni-businessman-agri-food-expert-honoured-queens-university/

syncni.com, 9 March https://syncni.com/article/3902/ni-businessman-and-agri-food-expert-honoured-by-queen-s-university

BuyNIFood.com, 11 March https://www.buynifood.com/node/3900

Farm Week, 23 March https://farmweek.com/ni-agri-food-expert-honoured-by-queens/ 

 

Dr Simon Doherty appointed to European food-safety body 

Belfast Newsletter, 28 March (hard copy only) 

meatmanagement.com, 25 March https://meatmanagement.com/queens-university-belfast-academic-appointed-to-european-vet-body/

Farm Week, 13 April https://farmweek.com/ballygowan-vet-appointed-to-key-european-body/

 

Coronavirus & food (expert comment by Prof Chris Elliott) 

The Grocer, 23 March https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/buying-and-supplying/coronavirus-italian-foods-reputation-tarnished-by-fearmongering/603193.article 

Food Navigator, 24 March https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2020/03/24/Coronavirus-and-obesity-industry-urged-to-act-post-crisis# 

New Food, 31 March https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/podcast/coronavirus/ 

Read more Read less

Feb 2020
Matter of debate

The big story in February was the all-Ireland Great Agri-Food Debate, hosted by IGFS at Queen's and sponsored by Dawn Meats and McDonald's (Ireland). Coverage is still coming in, but so far the story has been well picked up by the local farming media.

 

Great AgriFood Debate (IGFS event)

17 Feb, Agriland.co.uk https://www.agriland.co.uk/farming-news/belfast-to-host-great-agri-food-debate-for-first-time/

17 Feb, Irish Farmers’ Journal https://www.farmersjournal.ie/great-agri-food-debate-goes-north-of-the-border-for-the-first-time-527707

17 Feb, Dundalk Democrat https://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/news/home/518192/dundalk-it-to-compete-as-great-agri-food-debate-2020-heads-north-for-first-time.html

18 Feb, Q Radio, News bulletin (6:05mins) https://bit.ly/2SRKZmw

18 Feb, Downtown Radio, News bulletin (19:02:58mins) https://bit.ly/2w2PLVy

18 Feb, ShelfLife.ie https://www.shelflife.ie/great-agri-food-debate-2020-to-take-place-in-belfast-for-first-time/

18 Feb, Business Eye http://www.businesseye.co.uk/queens-host-island-agri-food-debate/

19 Feb, Irish Country Living https://www.farmersjournal.ie/six-colleges-to-go-head-to-head-in-great-agri-food-debate-527627

27 Feb, Good Morning Ulster programme, BBC Radio Ulster https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000fpk2

27 Feb, Evening Extra programme, BBC Radio Ulster (22.10mins in) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000fpkq

29 Feb, Farm Gate programme, BBC Radio Ulster (10:48 mins in) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000fyn1

27 Feb, Irish Farmers’ Journal https://www.farmersjournal.ie/ucd-win-great-agri-food-debate-final-in-belfast-530096

3 March, Agriland https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/ucd-smash-subsidy-debate-to-come-out-tops-at-the-great-agri-food-debate/

3 March, BBC Radio Ulster, Farming Matters programme (38:10mins in) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000fw8n

4 March, News Letter https://www.newsletter.co.uk/country-and-farming/careers-abound-within-ni-red-meat-sector-lmc-2063890

4 March, Irish Farmers’ Journal https://www.farmersjournal.ie/ucd-bring-home-the-bacon-in-agri-debate-530227

 

Breastfeeding event, NI Science Festival (Dr Simon Cameron research)

20 Feb, U105 The Frank Mitchell Show (10:36:10mins) https://bit.ly/3c5Pn8W

18 Feb, Belfast Telegraph https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/qub-calls-on-new-northern-ireland-mums-to-help-scientists-latest-research-on-breast-milk-38965936.html

18 Feb, Belfast Live https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/breastfeeding-mums-northern-ireland-wanted-17749014

14 Feb, MumsNI https://www.mumsni.com/blogs/news/call-out-for-nursing-mothers-to-donate-breast-milk-for-research

 

Restaurant food fraud (featuring segment on IGFS & comment by Prof Chris Elliott)

24 Feb, BBC Wales TV, X-Ray (consumer) programme https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000fvhq/xray-series-19-episode-13

 

Plasma technology used for agrifood (Prof Brendan Gilmore research)

11 Feb, BBC Radio 4, Farming Today programme https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000f6vj#play

 

Is going Vegan good for your health? (featuring comment by Prof Chris Elliott)

24 Feb, The Daily Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/nutrition/diet/going-vegan-may-good-environment-damaging-health/

Read more Read less

Jan 2020
Diet and disease

Dr Claire McEvoy and Professor Jayne Woodside's research into the relationship between diet and disease in India - and the lack of data at a national level on the same - picked up great international coverage, mainly in India, with over 70 items of coverage including the Indian Express, India.com, Times of India and the United News of India. 

 

Food Integrity Conference – interview with Prof Moira Dean

New Food magazine, 2 Jan https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/article/101086/developing-better-risk-communication/

 

Meat-eaters shamed (featuring audio clip comment from BBC Radio Ulster interview with Prof Chris Elliott)

The Sun, 23 Jan https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10806063/meat-eaters-shamed/

 

Mycotoxins (Prof Chris Elliott & Prof Rudi Krska event)

15 Jan, allaboutfeed.net https://www.allaboutfeed.net/Mycotoxins/Articles/2020/1/WMFmeetsAsia-Top-5-answers-learned-527054E/

 

Industry partners with Food Standards Scotland to fight food fraud (Prof Chris Elliott involvement)

Food Standards Scotland, 21 Jan https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/news-and-alerts/fss-collaborates-with-scottish-businesses-to-tackle-food-crime

Grampianonline.co.uk, 25 Jan https://www.grampianonline.co.uk/news/food-standards-scotland-collaborates-to-tackle-food-crime-190191/

 

   

Read more Read less

Dec 2019
Processed meat cancer risk

We saved the best for last! The award for biggest IGFS media sensation of 2019 goes to Dr Brian Green, Dr William Crowe and Prof Chris Elliott, who found that not all processed meat carries the same cancer risk. That finding picked up over 370 items of coverage including The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Times, The Irish Times, Newswise (US), IndiaTimesPost, Medical.net (Australia), Yahoo Singapore, RTE Radio and BBC Radio Ulster.

Dr Jonny Dalzell's fun explainer on mistletoe and PhD student Joshua Twining's work on pine martens also did well.

Pine Martens and Red Squirrels link (research by PhD student Joshua Twining)

Britishecologicalsociety.com, 13 Dec https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/northern-irelands-recovering-pine-marten-population-benefits-red-squirrels-urban-grey-squirrel-poses-problem-2/

Irish News, 13 Dec https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2019/12/13/news/predatory-pine-martens-are-helping-the-red-squirrel-population-to-recover--1789039/

The Times, 13 Dec https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fierce-predator-may-be-red-squirrels-saviour-r280ndb57

ScienceDaily.com, 13 Dec https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191213080709.htm

The ‘i’ paper, 13 Dec https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/red-squirrel-numbers-latest-improvements-uk-forests-pine-martens-1340073

Daily Mail, 13 Dec https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7787743/Red-squirrels-comeback-trail.html

EurekAlert!, 12 Dec https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/bes-nir121119.php

PressReader.com, 17 Dec https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/the-star-south-africa-early-edition/20191217/281771336084097

Headlinezpro.com, 13 Dec https://headlinezpro.com/red-squirrels-are-on-the-comeback-trail/

Herald Publicist, 12 Dec https://heraldpublicist.com/red-squirrels-are-on-the-comeback-trail/

Newsfeeds.media, 12 Dec https://newsfeeds.media/red-squirrels-are-on-the-comeback-trail/

 

Why we kiss under the mistletoe – an explainer (Dr Jonny Dalzell)

The Conversation, 12 Dec https://theconversation.com/mistletoe-might-be-festive-but-its-actually-a-tree-plundering-parasite-128734

The ‘i’ paper, 17 Dec https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/christmas/mistletoe-parasite-christmas-kissing-tradition-1342928

Metro, 13 Dec https://www.metro.news/mistletoe-might-be-festive-but-its-actually-a-tree-plundering-parasite/1832572/

Foreignaffairs.co.nz, 13 Dec https://foreignaffairs.co.nz/2019/12/13/mistletoe-might-be-festive-but-its-actually-a-tree-plundering-parasite-128734/

 

New online courses at IGFS / EIT Food

FeedNavigator.com, 3 Dec https://www.feednavigator.com/Article/2019/12/03/New-online-courses-offer-bespoke-training-for-feed-professionals

 

Flavour conference (featuring comment by Prof Moira Dean)

New Food, 18 Dec https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/article/100717/uk-flavour-day-2019-flavourings-role-in-consumer-trends/

 

Read more Read less

Nov 2019
Manmade noise a "major pollutant"

The biggest hitter media-wise for November - and a record-breaker generally - was coverage of Dr Hansjoerg Kunc's meta-analysis of noise pollution and the threat it poses to more than 100 species - across land, sea and air.

It garnered sensational coverage - too many to list here - around 350 items of local, national and international news stories including in the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, BBC Radio 4, BBC Inside Science, Yahoo News Australia, South China Morning Post, France 24 and the Kuwait Times.

George Robertson Memorial Lecture

Irish Farmers’ Journal, 7 Nov https://bit.ly/33Ptm94

BBC Radio Ulster, Good Morning Ulster, 7 Nov https://bbc.in/34L9yoy

BBC Radio Ulster, Evening Extra, 7 Nov https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0009yrv

BBC Radio Ulster, Farm Gate, 9 Nov https://bbc.in/2Q76KOd

BBC Radio Ulster, Farming Matters, 12 Nov https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000b5v8

Farming Life, 13 November https://bit.ly/2Panpyq

Irish Farmers’ Journal, 14 Nov https://bit.ly/34NVRph

 

Statins & prostate cancer link (Dr Emma Allott)

47 x items of local, national and international coverage including the Irish Times, ABC online, the Flordia Post, the Belfast Telegraph, the Daily Mail. Available as separate document on request.

 

‘Honey laundering’ – expert comment (Prof Chris Elliott)

65 x items of local, national and international coverage including the Sunday Times, BBC Online, New Food magazine and dozens of regional BBC radio news coverage

 

Basking sharks’ transatlantic journeys research (PhD student Emmett Johnston and Dr Jon Houghton)

10 x items of national and international coverage including CNN, Radio Canada International, New York's WPIX TV, phys.org and the LongRoom.com (USA). Details available on request

 

Pine Martens’ adaptable diets (research by PhD student Joshua Twining)

4 x items of local and national coverage including the Irish News, the Belfat News Letter and Countryfile.co.uk

 

Can DNA survive every environment on Earth (featuring comment by Dr John Hallsworth)

BusinessMayor.com, 14 Nov https://bit.ly/2LjDnoA

 

Meat versus environment debate (featuring comment by Prof Nigel Scollan)

BBC Food, 27 Nov https://bbc.in/2YpnkLD

Read more Read less

Oct 2019
Major funding awards

This month there was great interest in the news that Professor Jayne Woodside and Dr Brian Green had each been awarded highly prestigious funding for international nutrition research in the shape of US-Ireland Awards. The story did very well in internal comms and social media but was also picked up by some external outlets, expand out to see the details

Read more to see what else got published in October

Jayne Woodside/Brian Green research (US-Ireland awards)

Public Health Agency NI, 10 Oct https://research.hscni.net/queens-nutrition-scientists-selected-major-international-research-projects

Belfast News Letter, 11 Oct (hard copy only)

Biospace.com, 14 Oct https://www.biospace.com/article/ucd-researcher-wins-us-ireland-grant-for-personalised-nutrition-project-with-harvard-and-qub/

 

Lord Mark Price to deliver GSR Memorial Lecture

Downtown Radio, news bulletin, 9 Oct (1:02:50mins in) https://planetradio.co.uk/downtown/player/79154610/

BuyNIFood.com, 9 Oct https://www.buynifood.com/latest-news/3794/lord-price-outline-future-uk-food-supply-system-belfast-audience

Farming Life, 12 Oct https://www.farminglife.com/farming-news/lord-price-to-outline-future-of-uk-food-1-9103754

 

Manmade noise interfering with birdsong (Dr Gareth Arnott)

This item was previously covered in June 2019

RTE Radio 1, Mooney Goes Wild programme, 14 Oct https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/html5/#/radio1/21636967

 

Heart-Healthy Diet & Brain Function link (Dr Claire McEvoy research)

This item was previously covered in April 2019

BruDirect.com (Brunei news website), 04 Oct https://www.brudirect.com/news.php?id=77933

 

 

 

 

Read more Read less

Sept 2019
Something fishy

Media coverage for September was dominated by news of the genome sequencing of the wild brown trout - research carried out by a team co-ordinated by the Sanger Institute, which included Professor Paulo Prodohl. See below for highlights and read more to get full coverage and other items of IGFS making headlines this month

EurekAlert!, 4 Sept https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-09/wtsi-btg090419.php

Alpha Galileo, 4 Sept https://www.alphagalileo.org/en-gb/Print/itemId/182490/userId/-1/cultureCode/en-GB

DNA Brown Trout: cont.

Physics.Org, 5 Sept https://phys.org/news/2019-09-brown-trout-genome-species-genetic.html

Sanger Institute, 5 Sept https://www.sanger.ac.uk/news/view/brown-trout-genome-will-help-explain-species-genetic-superpowers

TheFishSite.com, 5 Sept https://thefishsite.com/articles/the-stage-is-set-to-solve-the-riddle-of-the-brown-trout

NotizieScientifiche.it https://bit.ly/2JulHWI

World Fishing & Aquaculture, 11 Sept https://www.worldfishing.net/news101/fish-farming/brown-trout-genetic-superpowers-explained

Institute of Fisheries Mgmt, 13 Sept https://bit.ly/2MXJU9Z

Envirotec magazine, 23 Sept https://bit.ly/2WkPdDs

ooreporters.com (Nigeria), 23 Sept https://bit.ly/2Pv5wvS

SalmonFishingForum.com (blog), 23 Sept https://bit.ly/2BUb1wg

DownToEarth.org, 24 Sept https://bit.ly/2WsBevd

TechaPeek.com, 24 Sept https://bit.ly/34gAUlR

FishingWire.com, 24 Sept https://www.thefishingwire.com/releases/9df43500-20f4-4a5f-a250-c7c05cbfec63

The Irish Examiner, 8 Oct (hard copy only)

Afloat.ie, 8 Oct https://bit.ly/34aYtwp

PressReader.ie, 8 Oct https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/irish-examiner/20191008/281775630907552

 

Food Fraud after Horsemeat (TV; Prof Chris Elliott)

Defenders UK, BBC One, 9 Sept https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0008cpy/defenders-uk-series-2-episode-6

 

Invasive Species (TV; Prof Jaimie Dick)

10 Things To Know About …, RTE 1, 10 Sept https://bit.ly/2q1EEZX

 

IGFS-OFC event - ‘Growing A Healthy Society: Role Of Food’

Farm Week, 18 Sept https://farmweek.com/queens-to-discuss-how-best-to-feed-the-world/

Farming Life, 21 Sept https://www.farminglife.com/farming-news/nutritional-risks-biggest-killer-1-9079526

The Hippocractic Post, 23 Sept https://bit.ly/2MUQTjO

Seeker News, 25 Sept https://seekernews.co.uk/nutrional-risks-replace-smoking-as-societys-biggest-killer/

Ulster Grocer, 19 Sept https://bit.ly/2ppTDwB

Farm Week, 9 Oct https://farmweek.com/nutritional-risks-replace-smoking-as-societys-biggest-killer/

 

Mycotoxin threat in Animal Feed (quotes Prof Chris Elliott)

Irish Examiner, 30 Sept https://bit.ly/2NlUsPd

 

 

Read more Read less

Aug 2019
Happy chicks

The IGFS hit for August - traditionally a quiet month for media - was Dr Mary Baxter's fascinating think-piece for The Conversation website, Finding Signs of Happiness in Chickens, which got great traction on social media, as well as being picked up elsewhere. Read more to see what else from IGFS was getting attention this month

Yahoo.com, 1 Aug https://bit.ly/31AAu8t

PopSci.com, 2 Aug https://www.popsci.com/chicken-emotion-happiness-animal-welfare/

Debate around eating less meat and more plants (quotes Prof Nigel Scollan)

The Daily Telegraph, 08 Aug https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/eat-less-red-meat-reduce-climate-change-un-urges/

 

Goldsmiths Uni bans beef from campus in order to meet carbon-neutral target (quotes Prof Chris Elliott)

Farmers Weekly, 13 Aug https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/farm-anger-as-university-bans-beef-from-campus

 

Parallel beef supply chains & food safety (by Prof Chris Elliott & Prof Moira Dean)

New Food Magazine, 13 Aug https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/article/90413/food-safety-in-depth-focus-august-2019/

 

How to cook rice safely (quotes Prof Andy Meharg)

NewsBeezer, 17 Aug https://newsbeezer.com/franceeng/when-cooking-rice-we-all-make-the-same-mistake-and-it-is-a-danger-to-our-health/

 

Effect of microplastics (Prof Chris Elliott; Dr Cuong Cao)

this item was previously covered in June 2019

FoodSpark, 14 August https://www.foodspark.com/Hot-Topics/Testing-food-and-drink-products-for-microplastics

 

Read more Read less

July 2019
Slow and steady ...

Dr Julia Sigwart certainly won the media-coverage race with her research indicating that the scaly-foot sea snail is now considered endangered, published in Nature. It went on to receive widespread international and national media coverage - too numberous to list here - 220 items, and still trickling through - but including The Conversation, Forbes, The Smithsonian, BBC World Service, The Times, The Daily Mail and International Business Times India. 

Read more to see what else caught the zeitgeist in July

 

Brown trout welfare (Prof Paulo Prodohl)

Galloway Gazette, 7 July https://www.gallowaygazette.co.uk/news/how-now-brown-trout-of-our-area-1-4959914

Food labelling (TV; featuring Prof Chris Elliott)

BBC 2 TV, Horizon programme, 8 July https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0006p3j/horizon-2019-4-the-honest-supermarket-whats-really-in-our-food

 

Spice authenticity (quotes Prof Chris Elliott)

Sunday Business Post, 21 July https://www.businesspost.ie/magazine/spice-up-your-life-448421

Read more Read less

June 2019
Twitter storm

The big hit for this month was Dr Gareth Arnott's research into birdsong and how it may be being disrupted by manmade noise pollution - this garnered 44 items (and counting) of local, national and international coverage, too much to list, including the Guardian, BBC Radio 4, the Irish Times, the Daily Mail, BBC Inside Science and CBBC Newsround

Also making headlines this month was the launch of the AgriPlas lab at IGFS. Read more to see all details of this and other stories

AgriPlas launch

Farm to Fork agriculture-news programme – syndicated to more than 170 radio stations across USA – 26 July http://www.northshoreproductions.com/index_htm_files/farmtofork-072619.mp3

FarmingUK, 21 June https://www.farminguk.com/news/cold-plasma-tech-could-transform-uk-food-production_53279.html

Farmers Weekly (UK-wide), 2 July https://bit.ly/2xo1WJJ

BBC Radio Ulster, Evening Extra programme, 17 June (1.20.10 mins in): https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0006030

BBC Radio Ulster, Good Morning Ulster programme, 17 June (12.20 mins in): https://bbc.in/2Ropo2V 

AMR Insights, 24 June https://www.amr-insights.eu/2019/06/wonder-technology-to-transform-farming-food-production-and-mitigate-amr-pioneered-by-igfs/

Downtown Radio breakfast news, 25 June (1.02.50 mins in): https://planetradio.co.uk/downtown/player/68063400/

Farming Life, 22 June https://www.farminglife.com/farming-news/new-technology-pioneered-at-queen-s-university-belfast-1-8972071

Farm Week, 27 June (front-page lead story) hard copy only, PDFs attached

Irish Examiner, 27 June, hard copy only

Belfast News Letter, 22 June, hard copy only

 

Plastics and effect on human health (Prof Chris Elliott, Dr Cuong Cao)

News-Medical.net Australia, 14 June European Commission awards half a million pounds to tackle problems posed by plastics

Sync NI, 13 June QUB research to investigate the health effects of plastics

AlphaGalileo, 13 June New Queen’s University research to tackle plastics, one of mankind’s greatest threats to existence

Packaging South Asia, 13 June Queen’s University Belfast to assess damage caused by nano plastics and microplastics

East Coast FM, 13 June Plastics coverage

BBC Northern Ireland, 13 June Plastics research mention

The Irish Daily Star, 12 June BOFFINS PROBE PLASTIC TERROR

InvestorIdeas, 11 June New Queen's University research to tackle plastics, one of mankind's greatest threats to existence

  

Allergy Conference (Prof Katrina Campbell)

MIL (NZ) website, 27 June https://foreignaffairs.co.nz/2019/06/27/mil-osi-united-kingdom-new-allergen-labelling-law-to-be-introduced-by-government/

 

Kew Gardens report on animal & plant species degradation (Dr Neil Reid)

BBC Radio Foyle, One O’Clock News, 11 June, interview & commentary Dr Neil Reid (26mins in): https://bbc.in/31qNvlU 

 

Seafood safety (Prof Chris Elliott)

BBC Radio 4, You & Yours programme, 7 June (27:15 mins in) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0005mj9

Read more Read less

May 2019
Annual Lecture

By far the biggest media story IGFS generated in May was its Annual Lecture, delivered by Sir Tim Smit of the Eden Project. Interest in what Sir Tim had to say was huge, not least because of plans to creat a 'mini Eden' in Northern Ireland. The item gained 85 news stores in local and national press, including AOL.com, BT.com, BBC Radio Ulster, BBC Radio Foyle, the Belfast Telegraph, the Irish Farmers' Journal - and the whole of the front page on the Derry Journal!

Read more to see what else caught the media imagination in May, including the Balmoral Show

Jellyfish research (Dr Jon Houghton)

this item was previously covered extensively in March/April 2019 and Autumn 2018

The Irish Times, 4 May https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/jellyfish-make-swimmers-lives-a-misery-but-how-important-are-they-to-the-ocean-1.3872650

 

Horsemeat scandal (Prof Chris Elliott)

BBC Radio 4, You & Yours programme, 6 May (1:07mins in) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0004sc1

 

Balmoral Show (featuring discussion on farming sustainability, in which Prof Nigel Scollan is contributor)

RTE Radio 1, Countryside, 18 May (37 mins in) https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/html5/#/radio1/11038022

 

Balmoral Show (featuring AFBI-QUB Breakfast, comments by Prof Nigel Scollan)

Farm Week, 3 June https://farmweek.com/responsive-research-from-the-afbi-qub-partnership/

Farming Life, 25 May, digital copy no longer available

  • 17 more items of regional coverage including Ballymoney and Moyle Times; Dromore Leader; Portadown Times and Ulster Star

 

Play in piglets research (Dr Gareth Arnott)

this item was previously covered in April 2019

BBC Radio Foyle, Mark Patterson Show, 29 May (1:03hr in): https://bbc.in/30VWHhW 

 

GENIUS network funding news (Prof Jayne Woodside)

BuyNIFood.com, 21 May http://www.buynifood.com/news-events/2574/major-award-for-schoolfood-project

 

Project Daire (Prof Jayne Woodside)

Derry News, 27 May, hard copy only

 

WeValueFood workshop (event)

BuyNIFood.com, 28 May http://www.buynifood.com/news-events/2578/foodengagement-workshop-planned-for-local

Read more Read less

April 2019
Food for thought

A big-hitter this month was Dr Claire McEvoy whose research into links between a heart-healthy diet and brain function in middle age was covered internationally, picking up over 50 items of coverage including the New York Times, AOL.com, EurekAlert!, BBC Radio Foyle, the Daily Mail, Scottish Herald & The Sun.

Meanwhile, Professor Andy Meharg's ongoing research into arsenic in rice - specifically, the discovery that parboiling could reduce arsenic levels - scooped over 150 items of coverage including BBC Radio Foyle, AOL, Yahoo!, ScienceDaily, EurekAlert!, Newswise, Daily Mirror & NDTV India. Read more for other mentions of IGFS

Jellyfish providing shelter for smaller fish (Dr Jon Houghton)

this item was previously covered in March 2019

Pet Business World, 24 April Jellyfish seen in new light

 

QUB Ag-Tech Symposium (Veganism V. Meat debate - Prof Nigel Scollan quoted)

Irish Farmers' Journal 06 April (hard copy only)

Belfast News Letter, 06 April (hard copy only)

 

Play in piglets research (Dr Gareth Arnott)

Farming Life, 20 April (hard copy only; digital version no longer available)

Agriland, 21 April, https://www.agriland.co.uk/farming-news/pig-behaviour-research-finds-some-surprising-discoveries/

Pig World, 23 April, http://www.pig-world.co.uk/news/pig-behaviour-surprises-researchers.html

Pig Progress, 26 April https://www.pigprogress.net/Piglets/Articles/2019/4/Pig-behaviour-surprises-Northern-Irish-researchers-421004E/

Food & Farming Futures, 25 April https://www.foodandfarmingfutures.co.uk/Library/content/Detail.aspx?ctID=ZWVhNzBlY2QtZWJjNi00YWZiLWE1MTAtNWExOTFiMjJjOWU1&rID=MTkxNzM=&sID=MQ==&bckToL=VHJ1ZQ==&qcf=&ph=VHJ1ZQ==

Read more Read less

IGFS in the headlines

If you would like to explore the potential for media coverage of your research, contact IGFS Comms Officer Una Bradley on u.bradley@qub.ac.uk

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