Website: http://www.ku.dk/

The University of Copenhagen is the largest research and education institution in Denmark with 6 Faculties and 100 Departments and research centres. The department of food science (FOOD) places among the leading food research institutions in Europe. Besides research programmes, FOOD is responsible for the ‘Food and Nutrition’ bachelor education, and master educations in ‘Food Science and Technology’ and ‘Food Innovation and Health’. The BSc and MSc educations at FOOD have a very close contact and are well aligned with industry through industrial contact groups for dairy, meat and brewing, and graduates have good job prospects. Both MSc programmes are highly sought by international students, and our dairy technology and brewing specialisations are of unique quality. The PhD education at FOOD is also in demand internationally, and FOOD has been successful in joining Marie (S.) Curie networks (ITN, IAPP, RISE). FOOD has a very active and good collaboration with industry and hospitals. 90% of all projects are with industry and the percentage of shared publications with industry is 27%. The department has been recognised as international excellence by an International Advisory Board in 2005 and 2008, and in the most recent international evaluation of the department from 2014, the advanced level of the department is stressed.

The Department is organised in four sections: ‘Design and Consumer Behaviour’, ‘Ingredient and Dairy Technology’, ‘Microbiology and Fermentation’, and ‘Chemometrics and Analytical Technology’ covering interdisciplinary research and education ranging from food microbiology, food chemistry, food analysis, metabolomics of molecular and technological functionality, food processing technology, exploratory data analysis, sensory analysis, consumer preferences and behaviour.

The section for Design and Consumer Behaviour (DCB) is represented in the SHEALTHY project.

The section works with integrated food studies by approaching functional design, innovation and processing combined with sensory perception, consumer preferences and meal consumption. Central to the research of DCB is the awareness that future food production, provision and consumption need to address consumer demand for healthier and more sustainable food products. The research thus addresses innovation along the food production chain (i.e. processing, chemical-physical changes, nutritive and appetitive value, waste reduction and utilising local resources). The research of the section is divided into five research areas with staff allocated within and across the areas:

• Functional design
• Food exploration and innovation
• Flavour characterisation
• Sensory perception and acceptance
• Choice and eating behaviour

A significant research focus is on the understanding of the formation flavour, visual appeal, textural properties and their interplay in consumption behaviour – i.e. the multisensory perception of food and its effect on behaviour. The section works with different consumer groups across the lifespan including children, elderly and undernourished patients. Consumer studies are both cross-sectional as well as intervention studies. The research is closely linked to the MSc programme in Food Innovation and Health.

UCPH will be involved in WP1 Definition and optimization of combined non-thermal preservation methods (mild technologies) at lab scale. The main objective will be the optimization of pre-treatment of raw materials and finding optimal HPP conditions for fresh-cut F&V and F&V beverages. Specifically, UCPH will evaluate the effectiveness of the high pressure technique in order to produce safe and high, fresh-like quality juices, smoothies and cut F&V based on various physicochemical methodologies. In WP4 UCPH will support the demonstration of the optimised and combined HHP at the pilot level. In WP7, UCPH will contribute to dissemination, knowledge transfer and training activities.