Pork producer Truly Irish is spearheading a project that could see immune system-boosting pork products on UK shelves within two years.

Tests are being carried out on meat from pigs which have been fed laminaria seaweed extract, as part of a focused trial.

Blood tests on Truly Irish pigs have already shown the extract raises antioxidant levels in the pigs pre-slaughter.

Truly Irish expects the post-slaughter meat results will be ready for review within six months. If they still show enhanced antioxidant levels, Truly Irish will then seek to establish - through its research partner Clasado Ingredients in Malta - whether the antioxidants can be passed on to humans, boosting their own immune systems.

The project was a major development in the market and if the post-slaughter meat and human tests were positive, it would help Truly Irish’s ambitions to break into the UK mults, said Michael McAuliffe, CEO of Truly Irish Country Foods. “If it comes off, it’ll be of major significance it’ll be a revolution in the pork industry.”

Increasing antioxidant levels could also mean less nitrate would need to be added to the pork to preserve it, he added.

Truly Irish already supplies meat to Tesco stores in Ireland, as well as Dunnes Stores, SuperValu and Superquinn, but has no mainland UK listings. “We need to feed into that market and this will be a major benefit we can offer,” added McAuliffe.

Truly Irish and extract supplier BioAtlantic will have EU exclusivity to use the extract for pigs.

The project, called Thrive Rite, has gained €1.68m of EU funding and involves a number of companies including BioAtlantic - which produces the seaweed extract - University College, Dublin and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Belfast.

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