Support the Department of Food Science and Technology

The Department of Food Science and Technology in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is committed to making our world’s food supply safe, convenient, nutritious, and tasty through cutting-edge research. The Gut Function Initiative focuses on how an individual person is affected when certain foods are consumed. Food safety is not only an area of microbiology research in the department, it's also an area of outreach, or

extension with faculty members working with food companies in setting up programs to keep their facilities clean for processing food and preventing contamination. Nutraceuticals, such as fish oil and antioxidants in dry beans, are foods that have been proven useful in preventing or treating disease and are researched extensively at UNL. The department's food allergy program works closely with industry and governmental organizations in developing methods to test for the presence of allergens such as nuts and seafood.

The Food Science and Technology Program offers undergraduate degrees in Food Science and Technology and in Food Technology for Companion Animals, as well as graduate degrees in Food Science and Technology. The department is located in Filley Hall and in the Food Industry Complex. Some unique facility features include sophisticated equipment such as extruders, a reverse-osmosis ultrafiltration system, a vibratory fluidized bed dryer and a high-pressure processing unit. The department is home to the Processing Pilot plants, Sensory Laboratory, Analytical Testing Laboratory, Bioinformatics Laboratory, Food Safety and Security Pilot Plant, Food Allergen Laboratories, and the famous UNL Dairy Store.

Proximity and active participation in The Food Processing Center (FPC) programs allows unique and exclusive experiences to our graduate and undergraduate students. These students are able to experience “real life” situations in the FPC pilot plants and labs, as well as to collaborate on industry projects and entrepreneurial activities of The FPC.