Teen food choices under the spotlight at Laois library

Rathdowney Library is set to host an immersive virtual reality workshop to explore how the food environment shapes the food choices of teenagers.

Safefood is inviting people to join the conversation about the food environment as part of an interactive “Appetite for Change” exhibition hosted at the library from November 11 to 18 November 2026.

Visitors to the exhibition are invited to have their say on the food environment through an interactive survey – which can also be accessed online at safefood.net.

Safefood will also host an immersive workshop featuring a virtual reality (VR) experience for teenagers from St Fergal’s College. Talking to teenagers about their experiences of the food environment and what matters to them will provide important insights to help shape future public health policy.

The approach involves a specially designed VR supermarket experience, developed in collaboration with Safefood by Dublin City University Institute of Business and Society, led by Professor Tim Hubbard.

Teenagers will explore a VR supermarket where they will experience features such as pricing, promotions and product placement, allowing researchers to examine how these features shape what teenagers notice and how they respond.

Dr Joanne Uí Chrualaoich is the CEO of Safefood.

“By connecting with our network of libraries and bringing our Appetite for Change exhibition to a wider audience, Safefood is continuing to drive the national conversation about the food environment. The spaces in which we live, work and play all influence the food choices that we make, so it’s important that we all get to share our views on what needs to change to create a better food environment that supports healthier eating. I’m encouraging people to take our survey as will it help us build a picture of what needs to change in our food environment.”

Dr Aileen McGloin is Lead for Nutrition with Safefood.

“Food-related ill health in both adults and children remains one of the greatest public health issues we face, and the food environment is recognised as one of the main causes of the global obesity problem.

“We want to hear a wide range of views on the food environment, so our workshops give teenagers a chance to share their perspectives. The food choices of teenagers are shaped not only by what is available, but by friends, family, school, money, time and the digital world around them. Using a VR experience will help us to understand what it feels like to make food choices within the environments teenagers move through every day,” she said.

Prof Timothy Hubbard PhD is Professor of Management, DCU Institute for Business and Society.

“Virtual reality gives us a unique opportunity to place young people inside a realistic food environment and explore how they respond to the choices and influences around them. This initiative with Safefood is an exciting and new opportunity to explore the food environment using immersive technology, so that we can better understand how factors within the retail environment shape what people notice, remember and how they respond,” he said.

Stuart Hamilton is the Head of Libraries Development at the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), which supports public libraries.

“We are delighted to support Safefood's ‘Appetite for Change’ campaign and to host this important exhibition in libraries across Ireland. Public libraries are trusted, welcoming spaces that support the health and wellbeing of our communities and encourage people of all ages to engage with the issues that affect their lives. By combining community engagement, innovative technology and direct involvement from teenagers, the Appetite for Change campaign is creating new opportunities for people to explore how the food environment influences everyday choices and to share their perspectives. Libraries bring people together, encourage participation in public conversations and provide spaces where learning, discussion and discovery can flourish.”

Safefood says the exhibition was developed through a series of conversations with communities across the island of Ireland about their vision for a healthier food environment. It says these visions are reflected in illustrations by award-winning artist Steve Doogan.

Safefood is the all-island body set up under the British-Irish Agreement with a general remit to promote awareness and knowledge of food safety and nutrition issues on the island of Ireland.