Dr Fenelon will head up Teagasc's food research programme, which covers food safety, food bioscience, food chemistry and technology and food industry development. He replaces Dr Paul Ross, who left the position last summer.

Dr Fenelon will lead Teagasc’s research in the recently announced Dairy Processing Technology Centre and will be involved in the development of Moorepark Technology Limited.

The food research programme in Teagasc has 130 staff and 70 Walsh Fellows (PhD) students located at its two sites in Moorepark in Cork and Ashtown in Dublin, and a budget of €17m.

Dr Fenelon's has strong experience in the dairy industry. He worked for Wyeth Nutritionals as a food scientist in liquid and powered infant formula from 2000 to 2004 before joining Teagasc in 2005 as a senior research officer in Moorepark.

He was then promoted to principal research officer and Head of the Food Chemistry and Technology Department in Teagasc. He has formed a number of large collaborative projects with the Irish dairy and infant formula sector since joining Teagasc.

The appointment was approved at a Teagasc Authority meeting in Tinahely, Co Wicklow.