Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute (INSA)

The research of the institute is grouped into three programs:

• Research in Nutrition and Functional Foods
• Research in Food Safety
• Research in Analytical Innovation

— Food composition and nutritive values.

— Functional foods: effects over food ingredients' health, from the molecule to the studies with experimental models and humans.
— Effects of the microorganisms (and associated technologies) over food's nutritive values.
— Hygiene, quality and analysis of food: application of biotechnological and chemical engineering techniques. Food sensory analysis.
— Food safety: identification of microorganisms and chemical substances; innocuousness studies.
— New technologies in the elaboration, treatment and preparation of food products and other issues linked to environmental protection.
— Consumers' food habits and behaviors; offers in the educational world and counseling in the food sector.

At the beginning of 2008, the institute promoted a master degree in food safety, boosted in an interinstitutional scale and coordinated by a promoting committee composed of representatives coming from the institute, the Faculty of Veterinary of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the Agència Catalana de Seguretat Alimentària (ACSA) of the Generalitat de Catalunya. This master degree is part of the academic offer linked to the Faculty of Pharmacy and hosted in the Food and Nutrition Torribera Campus from the course 2012-2013 onwards. It supposes a true UB-UAB interuniversity offer with a strong commitment from ACSA's professionals. The course, coordinated by UB, started its teachings in February 2009, in a semi-presential way, in the headquarters of the Institut de Formació Contínua IL3.

The educational objective of the master is to "train professionals capable of rationally assessing, on a scientific basis, the problems which may arise regarding food safety, with the capacity to join working teams of public or private companies, and also being proficient in tasks of prevention, detection, assessing, managing, communication and decision making revolving around food safety.

Concerning the doctorate, the INSA takes part in the following programs in the framework of the Doctoral School of the UB (EDUB):

• Food and Nutrition
• Biomedicine
  
• Biotechnology
  
• Nutrition and Metabolism
  
• Research, Development and Control of Medicines

Absorption and Intestinal Metabolism of Nutrients
Research Manager: Ruth Ferrer Roig
It is part of the consolidated group Free Radicals and Eicosanoids in Biology and Medicine, 2009 SGR438
Bioactive Amines and Polyamines in Food
Consolidated group 2009 SGR668
Research Manager: Mª Carmen Vidal Carou
Natural Antioxidants : Polyphenols
Research Manager: Rosa Mª Lamuela-Raventós
It is part of the consolidated group Natural Polyphenols, 2009 SGR724
Nutritional and Bromatological Aspects of Lipids
Research Manager: Carmen López Sabater
It is part of the consolidated group Natural antioxidants, Wines and Cavas and Nutritional and Bromatological Aspects of Lipids, 2009 SGR606
Autoimmunity and Tolerance
Research Manager: Margarida Castell Escuer
It is part of the consolidated group Cancer Therapy, Inflammation and Immunomodulation, 2009 SGR118
Bioanalysis
Consolidated group 2009 SG1110
Research Manager: José Barbosa Torralbo
Biomarkers and Nutritional Metabolomics of Food
Research Manager: Cristina Andrés Lacueva
It is part of the consolidated group Natural Polyphenols, 2009 SGR724
Agricultural Systems Ecology (AGROECOSYSTEMS)
Consolidated group 2009 SGR1058
Research Manager: F. Xavier Sans Serra
Eicosanox
Research Manager: Juan José Moreno Aznárez
It is part of the consolidated group Free Radicals and Eicosanoids in Biology and Medicine, 2009 SGR438
Oxidative Stress and Nutrition
Research Manager: Teresa Mitjavila Cors
It is part of the consolidated group Free Radicals and Eicosanoids in Biology and Medicine, 2009 SGR438
Digestive Physiology and Nutritional Adaptations (FIDAN)
Research Manager: Miquel Moretó Pedragosa
It is part of the consolidated group Physiology and Experimental Nutrition, 2009 SGR471
Nutritional Physiology and Physiopathology
Research Manager: Joana M. Planas Rosselló
It is part of the consolidated group Physiology and Experimental Nutrition, 2009 SGR471
Genomics and Proteomics of the Bacterial Virulence Factors
Consolidated group 2009 SGR004
Research Manager: Joan Tomàs Magaña / Miquel Regué Queralt
Microbiology of Food
Research Manager: Núria Rius
Food Observatory (ODELA)
Research Manager: Jesús Contreras Hernández
Nutritional Quality and Lipid Technology
Consolidated group 2009 SGR1422
Research Manager: R. Codony Salcedo, Evaluation Report 2008-2010
Parasitological Research and Quality of Food
Research Manager: Mª Soledad Gómez
Toxicology Research (UB/PCB)
Consolidated group 2009 SGR414
Research Manager: Joan M. Llobet Mallafré
Analytical Chemistry Unit - Faculty of Pharmacy (QAFAR)
Research Manager: Lluïs Puignou
It is part of the consolidated group Bioanalysis, 2009 SG1110
Food Technology Unit
Research Manager: Carme González Azón
It is part of the consolidated group Advanced Oxidation Processes Engineering, 2009 SGR
Wines, Aromas and Food and Drinks Quality Factors
Research Manager: Susana Buxaderas i Elvira López Tamames
It is part of the consolidated group Natural antioxidants, Wines and Cavas and Nutritional and Bromatological Aspects of Lipids, 2009 SGR606
Enteric Viruses
Consolidated group 2009 SGR024
Research Manager: Albert Bosch Navarro / Rosa Mª Pintó