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Food research on the Viikki campus is conducted
in two faculties:
1. The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry
The emphasis of food sciences is on chemistry, technology and applied biology. Food research also covers economic and behavioural science approach.
The research fields of the Department of Food and Environmental Sciences include food chemistry, food microbiology, food technology and nutrition. In food chemistry, nutritional quality and its enhancement as well as functional properties and safety aspects of food constituents are investigated.
Food microbiology is focused on food safety, preservation and innovations in fermentation of meat, cereals and milk. The mission of food technology research is profound understanding of food and biomaterial processing . Research in human nutrition is focused on the associations between diet, nutrition and health. The research approaches vary from population studies to experimental molecular biology.
Focus of Food economics in the Department of Economics and Management is on food industry, trade and food related services.
Viikki Food Science is an umbrella concept used for the activities in the area of food science and nutrition.
2. The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Food safety research is carried out at the Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, at the Department of Veterinary Biosciences, and at the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Microbial Food Safety Research.
At the Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health food hygiene, meat inspection and slaughterhouse hygiene, toxicology, environmental hygiene, food and environmental virology and environmental health and food safety control are studied. Research and teaching deal widely with foodborne and waterborne diseases caused by microbes and toxins.
The Finnish Centre of Excellence in Microbial Food Safety Research (MiFoSa) belongs to the national programme for Centres of Excellence in Research for the years 2008-2013 of the Academy of Finland. The MiFoSa aims at reducing food microbial risk factors present throughout the entire food chain and at enlightening the yet unexplored aspects of the role of the microbiota in the human and animal gastrointestinal tract.
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Clinical Nutrition including Food and Health Research Centre
The Unit of Clinical Nutrition runs a curriculum in nutrition and nutritional therapy leading to BSc, MSc and PhD degrees and conducts research to explore the role of diet and individual foods and food components, and other lifestyle factors and genetic factors in the maintenance of health as well as in the etiology and treatment of diet related chronic diseases.
The University of Eastern Finland is the only University in Finland offering a degree program for state-licenced clinical nutritionist. The students graduating from this program have numerous and wide-ranging career opportunities in various sectors, such as health care, food industry and pharmaceutical industry. Teaching is based on most recent research, and the Unit is known for wide networks in the field of nutrition. It was nominated by the Ministry of Education as a top quality higher education unit in the years 2007-2009. Each year, 18-20 Master's students and 2-3 doctoral students graduate from the nutrition curriculum.
The approaches used in research are controlled dietary interventions utilizing traditional dietary methodology and metabolic measurements, and recently emphasis has been on nutrigenomics, metabolomics, and systems biology.
Main research areas and strategies are:
- Nutrition and chronic diseases
- Food and health
- Health promotion with nutrition
The Unit of Clinical Nutrition is a part of three Centres of Excellence
Research on nutrition and food biotechnology in the Department of Biosciences (Kuopio)
The aim of the bioscience curriculum is to train experts in various fields of biochemistry, biotechnology and applied zoology. The student will first obtain a solid basis of biology, chemistry and biology allowing further specialization in the future major subject as well as in the necessary supplementary studies.
The graduates will find their careers in various fields of research (such as molecular medicine) and in various research institutes and enterprises applying biosciences in industry, trade or health services. The research fields of the Department of Biosciences include biomedical research, food- and plant biotechnology as well as animal behaviour and welfare, and thus fit well in the strategy of the University of Eastern Finland having health and wellbeing as one of its focal points.
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Department of Biochemistry
The focus of biochemical research is the study of living organisms at the molecular level. This includes investigations into the composition of living cells and tissues and studies directed towards understanding biochemical reactions and the molecular changes that occur during biological processes. Click here to view the research groups and their topics.
Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory (BPEL)
BPEL research is directed to development of bioproducts, bioprocesses and diagnostic tests for medical, pharmaceutical, environmental and industrial applications. The research focuses on new tools and conditions for the production of highly active biomolecules by genetically engineered microbes and on the development of sensitive biomonitoring methods. The key knowledge areas of BPEL are high cell density fermentation processes, bioprocess modelling, microbial physiology, environmental biotechnology and bioanalytics. Click here to view the Research subject of BPEL.
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The department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry
Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry is unique as regards to its teaching and research areas. It is the only department in Finland where research and teaching in biochemistry, biotechnology and food chemistry are combinated in a unique and attractive way. The research groups and individual scientists have close and fruitful collaborations with the teachers and scientists in the other departments of the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University.
New techniques in molecular biology, biotechnology, protein chemistry, food chemistry and functional food technology have tightened the connections between basic science and its applications. Research contacts on five continents give the department an international atmosphere. The surrounding industry and society have utilized the knowledge and skills that the department can offer.
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Functional Foods Forum
Functional Foods Forum, as an independent special unit of the University of Turku, brings together the multidisciplinary expertise for the research and development of high-quality safe foods to promote human health and well-being.
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Finland Futures Research Centre
Finland Futures Research Centre refines visionary knowledge regarding alternative futures and the challenges and possibilities included in them. The Centre offers analytical futures-oriented information in interesting formats to back up its clients futures processes. The Centre's academic research focuses mainly on such themes as foresight, environmental and energy research, innovations, social and cultural research and research on creative industries.
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Turku Institute for Child and Youth Research
Turku Institute for Child and Youth Research is a joint endeavour of all the six institutions of higher education operating in Southwest Finland: University of Turku (coordinator), Åbo Akademi University, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, Humanities Polytechnic and Novia Polytechnic.
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In the University of Vaasa, food-related research is carried out mainly at the Department of Marketing by the Research Group on Consumer Behavior. In addition, the Logistics Research Group at the Department of Production has carried out research and development projects on food chain management and logistics.
Department of Marketing has more than three decades of experience in consumer research which has led to a nationally and even internationally acknowledged role as a producer of high-quality consumer research.
Research on food sector and consumption is focusing on the following research questions:
- How do consumers build trust in food-related e-commerce?
- How can SMEs in the food sector strengthen their relative role in food marketing channels and networks?
- How can food companies utilize consumers' values at different stages of their product development cycle and in planning and implementing their marketing activities?
- How can hedonistic consumption of food be integrated into a value-adding element in the context of experiential tourism marketing?
- What are the roles of consumer's value activation, product information, food motivation and need for cognition in the sensory experience of food, food product choices and food perceptions and images?
- To what extent may consumer's health-related behavior be changed into a more positive direction by identifying different target groups and by implementing interventions that are tailored on the basis of the preferences of these target groups?
- How do differences in consumers' cultural values and emotional experiences influence various aspects of food consumption?
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Deparment of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology is specializes in:
- Research and development of new, environmentally safe processes for the food and biotechnology industries
- Combination of engineering and biotechnology
- Biochemistry, food biochemistry and biotechnological processes
- Microbiology, microbial physiology and microbiological production technologies
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The key actor is Department of Chemical Technology
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