CZECH FOCUS: Prague stakes claim as vital centre of food science
Europe's leading food technology departments, which has helped put
the Czech Republic at the cutting edge of food R&D, writes
Anthon Fletcher.
But a lack of outside funding means that some potentially lucrative discoveries made at the faculty, which has been going for over 50 years, could be slipping through the fingers of ingredients companies.
"Large multinational companies don't tend support our institution or research," said Jana Copikova, head of the department of carbohydrate chemistry and technology at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT)'s faculty of food and biochemical technology.
"They are only interested in conducting research in their own countries. A company such as Danisco has its own research, so it doesn't need to fund research in the Czech Republic."
As a result, the department tends to collaborate with smaller companies to develop new innovations in ingredient formulation and food production, and discoveries are continually being made.
"For example we've found a new way of finding mistakes made in the production of candies," said Copikova. "If you break a candy and look at it under a microscope, the break should look smooth like glass. But if it is broken and crystals can be detected, then something has gone wrong. No one has studied this in depth yet."
The department is also working with a small mushroom producer to analyse the properties of betaglucane, a biologically active polysaccharide that is found in various vegetables. Copikova wants to find out whether this substance can improve human immunity systems.
"Cultures that consume a lot of mushrooms such as the Chinese and Japanese tend to have long life spans, so we are investigating this."
Indeed the department is heavily involved in identifying new properties of various polysaccarides, which could be of great benefit to food producers eager to tap into current consumer concerns of health and nutrition.
Despite the lack of outside funding, Copikova is confident that the deaprtment, the faculty and the institute as a whole will be able continue to produce first class research and development in the field of food science. "This year all universities needed to have their programmes by a special commission in order to get funded," said Copikova.
"We received funding for 87 per cent of our proposals, which means our institute received the best percentage out of any Czech institution. I am very proud of our achievements here, and I think we will have a very nice future."
The department of carbohydrate chemistry and technology enroles 20 students a year to study for BA and MA degrees covering topics such as sugar, starch and carbohydrate analysis. It is one of seven departments within the faculty of food and biochemical technology.
The Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague is a one of 28 public and state universities in the Czech Republic, and patents offered by the ICT to potential users represent one of the most significant results of its research activities. The staff currently owns 32 active patents and another 15 patent applications are currently being solved by the Office of Industrial Ownership.
