Research fields
The Viikki Food Science (VFS) provide research based information and tools towards making good food and nutrition available to the consumer.
The research made in VFS covers two overlapping main areas:
Research in focus
A major focus of our research is in food constituents that are beneficial to health, such as lipids and dietary fibre, probiotic microbes, vitamins, and other bioactive compounds, and in their reactions in foods and during food processing. We are also looking at the functional efficacy of these components in vitro. We study chemical and microbial food safety issues related to foods and food production. We are developing methods for analysing and controlling various properties and constituents in foods.
Also in focus
We study nutritional factors related to cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and cancer. We use epidemiological and experimental models as well as genetically modulated animal and cell culture models. The methods range from food behaviour and food intake assessment to physiological methods such as bone mineral density measurements, clinical chemical and molecular biology methods and to advanced statistical models and nutrigenetics.
Patterns of human food preferences are studied, including the inherited and learned inclinations to choose foods. We study food raw materials for their quality, health effects and applicability in foods and food processes. We study interactions of food constituents in different food matrices. Our research aims at improved quality in the local food production chain and improved and sustainable food processing and packaging methods.