Short history of the Institute of Food Science and Technology

Training of food engineers started in 1969 within the University of Horticulture. The founding of the Faculty of Food Preservation (the predecessor of the Faculty of Food Science) in 1972 provided a comprehensive curriculum for training food engineers. Since the reorganization of the university as the University of Horticulture and Food Industry in 1986, the Faculty of Food Industry has been the only institution in Hungary offering engineer training for almost all fields in the food industry. On January 1, 2000, the Faculty of Food Industry became the Faculty of Food Science of Szent István University. The scientific and educational work is based on the activity of 13 departments and a Pilot Plant Unit of the Faculty. Our faculty is currently the only institution in Hungary which covers the entire range of food science courses, from undergraduate programs through masters, to the doctoral program. In the last 20 years, following the continuous institutional transformation, from February 1, 2021. as an Institute of Food Science and Technology, it has become part of MATE. Currently, the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) is the central pillar of higher education in Hungary and the entire region.