CORK firm CyberColloids offers a unique service to the food-ingredients industry, by focusing on food thickeners and gellants called hydrocolloids. The Carrigaline company employs 12 staff and has established a solid international reputation for polysaccharide chemistry in respect of food texture.

The company investigates texturing and thickening agents for a variety of uses, such as for fat replacement in sauces and dressings, the stabilisation of ice cream and to increase moisture retention in meat products. More recently, it has branched out into the human health sector, since there is evidence that these agents can have a positive effect on human health.

In 2005, CyberColloids commenced a two-year project with InterTradeIreland's Fusion programme which enabled them to employ graduate research associate Sarah Hotchkiss, who completed a PhD in the biology of seaweed at the University of Adelaide, South Australia.

"The aim of the project was to carry out a review of all the scientific evidence for the nutritional benefits of eating seaweed, a source of hydrocolloids, and then to evaluate a number of specific raw and semi-processed seaweeds as functional food concepts," says Hotchkiss.

She praises the help from the Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (Niche), in areas such as marketing.

The company has enjoyed many benefits as a result of working with the FUSION programme, including participating in a €1 million project with the Universities of Ulster and Reading, as well as a grant from the Marine Institute for an 18-month project to evaluate flavouring aspects of edible Irish seaweeds. "Working with the FUSION programme was a really excellent experience for us as a company", says managing director Ross Campbell. "It kick-started a whole new area of work for us with academics and international research projects and, as a result, CyberColloids is now recognised as a research provider on the European stage."