Open for collaboration within the Thematic Area 3 – Food value chain in the Nexus (2.3.1-2024 RIA))

The Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology at the University of Zagreb is the leading institution in the Republic of Croatia in terms of science, research and education in the fields of biotechnology, food technology and nutrition science. For many years, this Faculty has been educating highly qualified experts, conducting scientific research and professional projects in cooperation with industry and has been a major driving force of Croatian economic development in the above mentioned fields. In the past years many generations of food technologists, biotechnologists and nutritionists working in food, fermentation and pharmaceutical industries and various jobs in the public sector were educated at the Faculty. The Faculty's mission in science and research is to conduct basic, applied and experimental research in interdisciplinary science fields of food technology, biotechnology and nutrition along with related scientific disciplines. Research programme conducted in the Food Technology field has been focused on developmental projects making use of modern technological processes of relevance for production, devoted to production and packaging optimisation, the development of novel food products of a longer shelf life and a higher nutritive value and the products covering for special dietetic needs, as well as to the development of new methods of food quality and food safety control and identification and isolation of bioactive ingredients.

Laboratory for Chemistry and Technology of Carbohydrates and Confectionery Products at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology is looking to participate in a consortium focused on developing solutions for the reduction of food wastes and losses through the recovery of various valuable components, such as polyphenols and carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) and their further implementations in food. We have previous experience in valorizing various fruit, vegetable and lignocellulosic wastes and we can offer expertise in (i) polyphenol and carbohydrate isolation and characterization, (ii) implementation in the development of encapsulated delivery systems as well as innovative food products with functional potential as added value, primarily confectionery products - chocolate and candy.

agro-industrial waste, polyphenols, carbohydrates, encapsulation, functional food, confectionery products