Department of Food Science, AU FOOD

What Department of Food Science, AU FOOD does

The Department of Food Science (AU FOOD) is a constituent research and education department of Aarhus University, a Danish public university headquartered at Agro Food Park 48, Aarhus N, with a secondary research and education facility at Gl. Estrup, Auning. The department operates with approximately 150 staff spanning professors, associate/assistant professors, postdocs, PhD students, research assistants, laboratory technicians, and administrators, organized into five science teams covering food quality perception and society, food chemistry, food technology, differentiated and biofunctional foods, and plant food and sustainability. Its core activity is basic and application-oriented food science research spanning the full food chain — from raw materials and processing through microbiology, chemistry, safety, and health-promoting properties — supported by facilities including a Sensory Lab managed by Konstantina Sfyra and ongoing projects in cultivated meat and milk (CleanMeat/CleanMilk), on-farm composting (ComCrop), and functional milk protein concentrates (MFF FILTRATE).

AU FOOD's revenue model rests on three streams: fee-for-service research collaboration with private companies (negotiated per project, including work with Carlsberg Research Laboratories and Arla), public sector consultancy on food policy and safety, and tuition-funded degree programs (BSc, MSc, PhD) including the double-degree MSc in International Food Quality and Health via the Sino Danish Center and the pan-European EIT Master in Food Systems. Distribution is direct, through research collaboration contracts, public sector engagement, academic programs, and the EIT Food Seedbed Aarhus Hub pre-accelerator, which provides mentorship and up to EUR 6,000 in funding for agrifood startups.

The department is structurally embedded in European and international research networks: it is a core partner in EIT Food, participates in multiple Erasmus+ projects (I-RESTART, GEEK4Food, European Excellence in Dairy Learning/AEDIL Dairy), leads the Food and Health theme of the Sino Danish Center with Chinese partners, and hosts the START PhD Summer School on biological solutions for agrifood systems. Its go-to-market is therefore hybrid — sales-led for industry collaboration, community-led for international academic partnerships, and event-driven for startup incubation and conference participation. Ownership is public via the Danish state; no venture capital or private equity is involved.

Name

Department of Food Science, AU FOOD

Legal name

Department of Food Science, Aarhus University

Website

https://food.au.dk

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AU FOOD is the food science department of Aarhus University, delivering basic and applied research, BSc/MSc/PhD education, and industry collaboration across the full food chain — serving food companies, public sector bodies, students, and international academic partners from its Agro Food Park base in Aarhus, Denmark.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Science Research and Higher Education

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFALADAH

Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Regulatory Compliance Testing & Consulting (FDA/USDA/EFSA, HACCP)

SECONDARYEDAOAKAJ

Nutrition, Special Diets & Wellness Cooking

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Culinary Arts, Baking & Food Service Training

SECONDARYBPADAEAG

Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition Technical Assistance

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

Keywords

• Food science research
• Higher education
• Agrifood innovation
• Research collaboration
• Public sector consultancy

Headquarters

HQ city

Aarhus N

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Collaboration: Fee-for-service research collaboration with private companies seeking research-based knowledge, equipment, and expertise. Companies pay for dedicated research partnerships, access to facilities, and expert analysis.
2. Public Sector Consultancy: Consultancy services provided to public sector entities on food science matters, regulatory compliance, and food safety.
3. Educational Programs: Tuition-funded degree programs (Bachelor, Master of Science, PhD) and summer schools, with industry collaboration opportunities for students.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Department of Food Science (AU FOOD) at Aarhus University is a publicly funded academic department that generates research-based knowledge across the entire food chain from field to fork, covering food quality, safety, processing, microbiology, chemistry, technology, and health-promoting properties. It delivers this through degree programs (Bachelor, Master of Science, PhD), collaborative research partnerships with industry, public sector consultancy on food policy and regulation, and participation in European innovation ecosystems including EIT Food, Sino Danish Center, and Erasmus+ programs.

Product overview

The Department of Food Science at Aarhus University (AU FOOD) operates as a university research and education department rather than a commercial product company. Its portfolio consists of educational programs (Bachelor, Master, PhD, and international joint degree programs), research collaboration services for industry and public sector, and participation in international research and innovation projects. Key offerings include the MSc in International Food Quality and Health (Sino Danish Center double degree), EIT Master in Food Systems, various research projects (CleanMeat/CleanMilk, ComCrop, MFF FILTRATE), and the EIT Food Seedbed startup incubator program. The department also provides strategic partnerships, public sector consultancy, and international collaboration through Erasmus+ projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Science in Food Science Graduate-level master's degree program covering food science, food quality, and food production from field to fork, delivered at Aarhus University.
• PhD Programs in Food Science Doctoral research programs allowing students to conduct advanced food science research at AU FOOD facilities.
• Bachelor in Food Science Undergraduate degree program in food science offered under Aarhus University structure.
• MSc in International Food Quality and Health (Sino Danish Center) Double-degree master's program delivered jointly with the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences through the Sino Danish Center, focusing on food safety, health, and quality perception in Western-Asian contexts.
• EIT Master in Food Systems Integrated graduate degree program organized across multiple European academic institutions through the EIT Food pan-European partner network, with focus areas including Future Foods and Food Structure.
• Research Collaboration Services Collaborative research partnerships between companies and department researchers to convert research-based knowledge into new products and solutions, providing access to facilities, equipment, and expert analysis.
• Public Sector Consultancy Advisory services provided to public sector organizations on food science matters, food safety guidance, and regulatory compliance support.
• EIT Food Seedbed Program (Aarhus Hub) Pre-accelerator program hosted at Aarhus Hub providing mentorship, training, and up to EUR 6,000 funding for agrifood tech startups to validate business models.
• Summer Schools Short-term educational programs in food science for students and industry collaboration, including specialized programs such as the START PhD Summer School on biological solutions for sustainable agrifood systems.
• Sensory Lab Research Services Specialized research services from the Sensory Lab covering consumer acceptance research, alternative proteins, cell-based food, and appetite and eating behavior studies, available for industry and research collaboration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Elected to Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Danish CoVE Consortium (AEDIL Dairy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Danish consortium partners: Kold College (lead), University College Lillebælt, Copenhagen University, MFU (Mejeribrugets Fællesudvalg), Arla, and Århus University. Developing digital teaching material, online academy modules, and training for dairy industry workforce development through 2026.
• EIT FoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAarhus University is a core partner in EIT Food, Europe's leading food innovation initiative. EIT Food works to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted. The consortium includes key industry players, startups, research centres and universities across Europe. AU FOOD hosts the EIT Food Seedbed Aarhus Hub for agrifood startups.
• Sino Danish CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Food and Health research theme is led by AU FOOD, focusing on application-oriented food science for sustainable, healthy food supply. Partners include Chinese university partners and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Joint MSc program in International Food Quality and Health awards double degree.
• AGRIFOODSKILLSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration project focused on agrifood skills development and workforce training across partner countries.
• PROTWINminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration project in food science with European partner institutions.
• Erasmus+ GEEK4FoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ project focused on gastronomic sciences and food technology education development.
• Erasmus+ I-RESTARTminorStrategic or Co-development Partner27-partner consortium from 11 countries aims to reskill and upskill workforce in agrifood and veterinary sectors through micro-credentials methodology. 3200 hours of training and 3600 hours of work-based learning planned.
• Erasmus+ European Excellence in Dairy LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ project developing vocational training and work-based learning in dairy sector across 9 European countries including Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Serbia, Poland, Ireland, Turkey, Romania.
• The Kitchen Aarhus University IncubatorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation centre at Aarhus University for food tech startup acceleration and incubation, hosting Danish Israeli FoodTech Boot camps.
• Innovation Centre DenmarkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborates with Innovation Centre Denmark and Bio & Food Cluster for FoodTech boot camps connecting Danish and Israeli food tech ecosystems.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV: Germany's leading applied food research institute with contract research and industry partnerships. Comparable in food processing, food safety, and corporate R&D services, though set up as an applied research institute rather than a university.
• Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE): France's national agrifood research institution with extensive food science programs and industry collaboration. Comparable in scale, scope, and the combination of research, education, and public sector consultancy.

Direct peers

• Technical University of Denmark (DTU) - National Food Institute: DTU's National Food Institute is another Danish public food research and education institution. Directly comparable in food safety, food technology, and public sector consultancy, with overlapping industry partners and student pool.
• University of Copenhagen - Department of Food Science: Another major Danish food science department within the same national university system. Directly competes for Danish research funding, Danish industry contracts (e.g., Arla), and PhD students. Partner in the Danish CoVE Dairy consortium.
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU): SLU conducts food science research aligned with agricultural production and sustainability. Comparable mission in food chain research, applied industry work, and Nordic/European collaboration.
• University of Guelph - Food Science Department: Leading food science department in North America where Mario Martinez previously held a faculty position. Comparable in food chemistry, cereals and grains research, and award recognition patterns (Cereals & Grains Association, research excellence awards).
• University of Reading - Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences: Major UK food science department with similarly structured BSc/MSc/PhD education and industry research collaboration. Comparable in food chemistry, food processing, and sensory science.
• Wageningen University & Research: Wageningen is Europe's leading food and agricultural research university and a direct peer in food science research, BSc/MSc/PhD education, and industry collaboration. Both compete for the same EIT Food, EU, and corporate funding pools.
• University of Helsinki - Department of Food and Nutrition: Nordic peer offering food science BSc/MSc/PhD programs and research across food quality, processing, and nutrition. Comparable in EIT Food network participation and Erasmus+ student/researcher exchange.
• ETH Zurich - Department of Health Sciences and Technology: ETH Zurich's food science research group covers food chemistry, processing, and nutrition. Comparable in PhD/graduate education, EU research funding, and corporate R&D partnerships. Strong in alternative proteins and food structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/department-of-food-science-au-food

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Department of Food Science, AU FOOD