Question: what made you start looking at cheese

Emma Feeney answered on 9 Nov 2015:

My research is funded by Food for Health Ireland, and their money comes from a joint collaboration from Enterprise Ireland, and from some of the big Irish dairy companies. The dairy companies have decision in what is or is not published, but they do have areas that they are interested in. One was in the health benefits of cheese, and when I began to research the area I realised there was a gap in our knowledge about cheese. It’s perceived as a unhealthy food since it is a relatively high-fat product, and a lot of the fat is saturated. But its also a really good source of other nutrients and the evidence looks like despite the saturated fat content, it may actually be a heart-healthy food! But we need more research before we can say that. So thats why I’m looking at cheese!