MUSH4FUN - Communication & Dissemination activities

Communication and outreach

The MUSH4FUN project actively engages with the public to share research on sustainable nutrition and food science. Through outreach activities, the project introduces students, educators, and the wider public to topics such as alternative protein sources, food digestion, and how scientists study the sensory properties and taste of foods.

These activities aim to raise awareness about the role of food research in developing healthier and more sustainable diets, while also encouraging young people to explore careers in science.

Examples of outreach activities include participation in the ESB Science Blast, Stripe Young Scientist Exhibition, school presentations, and public engagement events such as the Teagasc Moorepark Open Day.

As part of the ESB Science Blast the MUSH4FUN project engaged primary school students and teachers through interactive demonstrations promoting interest in STEM. The activities introduced young learners to food science, sustainable nutrition, and how scientists study food. Teagasc Exhibition Stand, Univerisity of Limerick, May 2024

In celebrations for International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the MUSH4FUN project visited Bunscoil na Toirbhirte to introduce primary school girls to the concept of sensory science. Through interactive activities, students explored how scientists study taste, smell, and texture, highlighting the role of sensory evaluation in food research. Mitchelstown, 11 February 2025.

During the Teagasc Moorepark Open Day, the MUSH4FUN project engaged visitors through interactive demonstrations exploring food digestion and sustainable nutrition. Using a CurioScope T-shirt with 360° VR videos, participants visually explored the key stages of digestion and how different foods are processed in the body. Informal discussions also introduced topics such as plant-based milk alternatives, linking food composition, digestion, and sustainability. Moorepark, 2 July 2025.

At the Stripe Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, I engaged students and visitors through discussions on bioactive compounds found in fruits and vegetables. Demonstrations highlighted how scientists can extract these compounds from foods and develop strategies to protect them, helping to preserve their nutritional and health-promoting properties. RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin, 8-9 January 2026.

Dissemination

INFOGEST Food Digestion Conference (2024)

At the INFOGEST International Conference on Food Digestion, Dr Shannon Gwala was part of the organising team of Working Group 5. The group coordinated a collaborative ring trial that contributed to the development of a protocol for optimising amylase activity in in vitro digestion studies, which has since been published. She also presented a poster of a past project.

FOOD STRUCTURE DIGESTION AND HEALTH CONFERENCE (2025)
Dr Shannon Gwala presented recent insights from the MUSH4FUN project on how mushroom powders can influence the starch digestibility of pasta. The presentation highlighted how incorporating mushroom ingredients into food products may modify digestion behaviour and contribute to the development of more nutritious and sustainable foods.

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Communication and outreach

Dissemination

INFOGEST Food Digestion Conference (2024)

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