The XVIII Food Chemistry Meeting commenced on October 14th at the Convento São Francisco in Coimbra, gathering more than 250 researchers, academics, students, and professionals from the food sector. The initiative, promoted by the Food Chemistry Division of the Portuguese Chemical Society (SPQ) and organized by the Polytechnic University of Coimbra (UPCoimbra), will run until October 16th, World Food Day.
Under the theme “Over 10,000 Years of Food Inventions: Dialogue between Research, Industry, and Markets,” the meeting serves as a platform for reflection and knowledge sharing on current challenges in food, including food safety and quality, technological innovation, sustainability, nutrition, and the valorization of endogenous resources.
At the opening session, UPCoimbra's Rector, Cândida Malça, highlighted the strategic importance of food in a context marked by geopolitical instability, climate change, and the growing vulnerability of supply chains. "Food is not just a basic necessity: it is a matter of science, public health, economy, and sovereignty," she stated, advocating for the reinforcement of national food production capacity and the promotion of more sustainable and resilient food systems.
Cândida Malça also emphasized the role of higher education institutions in building these responses through training, research, and knowledge transfer to society. "We aim to train professionals, produce scientific knowledge, and, above all, transform that knowledge into value for the economy, for people, and for the territory," she noted.
The scientific organization of the event is co-chaired by Aida Moreira da Silva, president of the SPQ's Food Chemistry Division, and Maria João Barroca, both lecturers at the Higher Agricultural School of UPCoimbra. The three-day program includes conferences, round tables, and scientific work presentations.
A significant moment during the opening session was the posthumous tribute to Professor José Empis, a key figure in Food Chemistry in Portugal and one of the driving forces behind this scientific meeting. The creation of the Professor José Empis Award was also announced, to be presented for the first time at the next edition.
The meeting is supported institutionally by SPQ, EuChemS, Turismo de Portugal, and Turismo do Centro, as well as the contribution of over 40 companies from the food and scientific equipment sectors.
The program concludes on October 16th, World Food Day, with the round table “One Health: Are we developing the right foods for the future of health?”. Moderated by Aida Moreira da Silva, the session will feature Alexandra Bento (National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge), Isabel do Carmo (endocrinologist and retired professor from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon), Manuel Coimbra (University of Aveiro), Márcia Pinto (Salina Greens), and Rui Costa Lima (SenseTest). The panel will promote a multidisciplinary reflection on the role of food in human, animal, and environmental health, as well as the challenges for developing future foods.
