Department of Food Science and Technology

Department was established on the September 1, 1951.

About

In 1951, Department of Food Product Technology was established. Predecessor of the Department of Food Product Technology was the Department of Organic Chemistry of Kaunas University. Head of department of Food Product Technology was prof. Jonas Zigmas Venskevičius.
In 1959, specialization in food product technology (instead meat and dairy technology) was established to train meat, dairy, sugar, bread, confectionery, fruit and vegetable processing, fermentation and fat industries engineering technologists.
In 1965, Department of Food Product Technology started to train catering engineering technologists.
In 1991, Department of Food Product Technology started to train Bachelors of Food Technology (4 years), Masters of Food Technology and Engineering (1.5 years) and Masters of Food Science (2 years).
In 2001, 1^stBaltic Conference on Rye was organized, dedicated for research of rye.
In 2004, prof. Petras Rimantas Venskutonis was awarded the National Lithuanian State prize in technological sciences for work on isolation, research and recovery of biologically valuable components from row plant material.
In 2006, 1^st International Baltic States Conference in Food Science and Technology (FoodBalt) was organized, is still held in KTU (2007, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025)
During 2006-2007, together with partners, two projects funded by the EU Structural Funds (prof. D. Leskauskaitė) were won for the improvement and creation of study modules and programs, improvement of teaching and scientific infrastructure.
In 2009, Baltic Sea Region Conference Baltfood (E-learning strategies in the food industry: Results and Implementation Strategy for Baltic Food Academy) was organized.
In 2010, implementing Integrated Science, Study and Business Center (The valley) „Nemunas“ project (prof. D. Leskauskaitė), Food Science and Technology Competence Center was opened. This is the first competence center in Baltic States, which has a unique pilot plant equipment of different food technology branches (bakery, confectionery, meat, fish, dairy, fermentation, catering technologies).
In 2011, international conference NordForsk (Network on Dairy Structures – Health and Functionality) was organized.
In 2012, Masters study program Food Science and Safety was started in English.
In 2012-2014, by using financial resources of Integrated Science, Study and Business Center (The valley) „Santaka“ a supercritical fluid and accelerated solvent extraction equipment’s, food rheology and texture laboratory equipment, modern chromatographic and mass spectrometric laboratory equipment were purchased.
In 2013, in cooperation of business (company ART21) and science (assoc. prof. R. Vinauskienė), first in the world mobile electronic nose for the determination of freshness of meat and poultry was developed.
In 2013, delegation of European Parliament visited Food Science and Technology Competence Center.
In 2014, name of the Department of Food Product Technology was changed to the department of Food Science and Technology.
In 2016, study programs of Food Science and Technology and Food Science and Safety were accredited by international experts of EQAS-Food (European Quality Accreditation and Certification System for Food Studies) and granted „EQAS-Food Label“ sign of quality. These programs of bachelor and master studies are the first in Lithuania that got such an evaluation for 5 years (2017-2022).
In 2017, 4^th Food Congress of Northern and Eastern European countries NEEFood was organized.
In 2018, the biggest number of students (95 graduates) graduated the program Food Science and Technology.
In 2020, Prof. D. Leskauskaitė was awarded the KTU Prize for the Most Innovative Scientist, while Assoc. Prof. M. Syrpas and Assoc. Prof. M. Pukalskienė received the KTU Young Researcher Awards in the fields of natural and technological sciences. Prof. P. R. Venskutonis was included in Stanford University’s list of the world’s most cited researchers across various disciplines (in the field of food science, where 29,148,453 papers were published in 2020, he was cited 1,989 times). With the implementation of the project on the development and integration of research, experimental development, and innovation infrastructure into European infrastructures, the Food Digestibility Research Laboratory (headed by Prof. D. Leskauskaitė) was established and the human gastrointestinal tract simulation system TwinSHIME was acquired. This equipment allows the simulation of human digestive tract conditions and enables a highly accurate evaluation of the potential health benefits of food products and supplements.
In 2021, Prof. P. R. Venskutonis was awarded the Lithuanian Science Prize in the field of physical sciences for his cycle of works “Functional food substances: innovative production technologies, new products and their application for food safety and health”. He also received the International Society for Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods Award for outstanding contributions to functional food and nutraceutical research, as well as the KTU Best Monograph Award for his book “Valorization of Fruit Processing By-Products”. Dr. V. Eisinaitė was granted the Young Scientist Fellowship of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. Three-dimensional food printers were acquired, and the 3D Food Printing Laboratory (headed by Dr. V. Eisinaitė) was established. The Master’s study programme Food Product Technology was renamed Food Technology and Innovation.
In 2022, Prof. P. R. Venskutonis received the Kaunas City Scientist Award for achievements in physical, biomedical, agricultural, and technological sciences, and was elected a member of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST). Dr. L. Jūrienė was awarded the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences Young Scientists’ and Doctoral Students’ Research Prize for her work “Biorefining of berry processing by-products grown in Lithuanian farms into valuable functional ingredients and their application for improving the safety and quality of meat products”. I. Jurevičiūtė became a laureate of the Lithuanian Young Scientists’ Union competition “Best Master’s Theses” for her thesis “Comparison of Hypoglycemic Properties and Binding Capacity of Four Dietary Fiber Rich Berry Pomace Using in vitro Models” (supervisor: Assoc. Prof. M. Keršienė). The Master’s programme Food Science and Safety was renamed Food Science and Nutrition.
In 2023, the M-Lab INDfood LAB (Individual Nutrition for Disease Prevention) was established (headed by Prof. A. Šipailienė). In the same year, Prof. V. Kitrytė-Syrpa was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Chemical Technology.
In 2024, Dr. L. Jūrienė was awarded the Young Scientist Fellowship of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.
In 2025, Prof. P. R. Venskutonis was granted the title of Academician of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences for his outstanding scientific achievements. In the same year, all three study programmes in the field of food technology – the Bachelor’s programme Food Science and Technology and the Master’s programmes Food Science and Nutrition and Food Technology and Innovation – received prestigious international quality recognition, being awarded both the ASIIN Seal and the EQAS-Food Label.

Studies

Study programs curated by the department:
Bachelor’s studies

Master’s studies

Research

Fields of science: N003 Chemistry, T005 Chemical Engineering.

Functional food materials.

Search, characterization, evaluation, processing and application technologies of functional materials (various natural food ingredients and food additives, health promoting compounds, etc.). Development of food materials and by-products biorefining processes into functional ingredients, applying multi-step extraction, fractionation, thermal- and enzymatic treatment methods. Search, characterization and application of novel phytochemical materials for functional food, food supplement and other product manufacturing.

Food structure investigation and design.

Encapsulation of bioactive compounds to control their release in the consumer gastrointestinal tract. Development of probiotic microcapsules, which are stable and vital during the technological process and storage. Products for special needs development designing their structure.

Bioproducts and food bioprocess technologies.

Development of biotechnologies for the processing of secondary raw materials of agro-food origin into valuable food components by microbial fermentation, enzymatic hydrolysis, thermal and mechanical methods. Development, analysis and application of new bioproducts and bioactive components. Increasing the efficiency of bioprocesses.

Researchers: R. Baranauskienė, dr. L. Bašinskienė, dr. D. Čižeikienė, dr. R. Degutytė, dr. V. Eisinaitė, dr. J. Jagelavičiūtė, dr. S. Jeznienė, dr. I. Jasutienė, dr. L. Jūrienė, R. Kazernavičiūtė, dr. M. Keršienė, dr. V. Kitrytė-Syrpa, dr. P. Kraujalis, dr. D. Leskauskaitė, dr. M. Pukalskienė, dr. A. Šipailienė, dr. M. Syrpas, dr. P. R. Venskutonis, dr. R. Vinauskienė, dr. D. Žadeikė, dr. R. Žvirdauskienė.

Food Science and Technology Competence Centre

Kaunas University of Technology and the Institute of Gardening and Horticulture at the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry established the modern Food Science and Technology Competence Centre (FSTCC) in 2010. The FSTCC is the first such centre in the Baltic States and is equipped with unique pilot equipment for the food industry. The combination of production and the most modern analytical equipment enables the modelling and optimisation of industrial processes in food production and storage as well as the identification and assessment of critical points in processes.

We are open to cooperation and invite all companies and organisations to cooperate in the development and improvement of technologies and the creation of new products:

you will save your time and expenses
you will control the process at every stage of its development
you will have the chance to use the knowledge collected at the centre
you will increase your visibility and competitiveness

Our vision is reflected in the centre’s name.

Buisiness service

We are here to assist industrial companies in the development of food production technologies using national intellectual resources and to look for rational solutions to production issues.

We provide professional advice on technical issues relating to food production and processing.
We constantly analyse EU directives and give advice.
We help analyse concepts and develop them.
We simulate real food production conditions with low raw materials.
We produce and demonstrate prototypes.
We offer a wide range of training in the field of food chemistry, production and quality.

Laboratories

Milk Laboratory

We produce cheese with automated vacuum tanning and cheese makers with full moisture and temperature control during ripening.
We improve your technology.
We concentrate on dairy products.
We collect and test raw materials for produced dairy products.
We process milk and liquid milk products thermally and mechanically.
We create new dairy products.

Meat and fish Laboratory

Reddening, boiling, baking, drying, maturing hot/cold smoked products in a heat-treatment chamber.
We shred, sort and rip raw meat and fish veins and arteries.
We simulate, loosen the texture of the products, change and check the intensity of salting.
We create recipient compositions and emulsions.
We form and pack products.

Bread and fermentation Laboratory

We create new confectionery and bakery manufacturing technologies.
We use modern methods to check the quality of products and raw materials.
We create and analyse processes for the production of kvass, cider, beer and strong drinks.
We create natural food additives.
We test new raw materials.

General Research Laboratory

The formation of nutritional products/dishes texture, nutritional value.
The application of sustainable technologies (heat treatment at low temperatures, semi-finished product vacuum).
The application of technological operations (packaging, intensive chilling, marinating).
The development of new food products/dishes, the optimisation of technological parameters and recipes, the description of production and documentation.
The creation of technology cards.