Contacts

Department of Chemistry and Food Analysis

Head of Department: Ing. Blanka Tobolková, PhD.
tel: +421 2 502 37 049, +421 2 502 37 048
e-mail: blanka.tobolkova@nppc.sk
Deputy Head the Department: Ing. Jana Sadecká, PhD.
tel: +421 2 502 37 097; +421 2 502 37 003
e-mail: jana.sadecka@nppc.sk
Pracovnci oddelenia: Ing. Zuzana Ciesarová, PhD., Ing. Filip Dimitrov, Ing. Zuzana Dubová, PhD., Ing. Jana Horváthová, Ing. Ervín Jankura, Ing. Mária Kopuncová, RNDr. Janka Kubincová, PhD., Ing. Kristína Kukurová, PhD., Ing. Božena Skláršová, PhD.,
Ildikó Juríková, Gabriela Szabová

Research scope

Center of Excellence instrument infrastructure

Cooperation offered for research organization and industry

Current research projects

Major completed projects

Other completed projects

International cooperation

Cooperation with industry

Awards

Other activities

Publication activity

Research scope:

  • Research in food safety and mitigation of contaminants generated in the technological processing and storage of foods
  • Development and application of analytical methods in food safety, quality and authenticity evaluation
  • Innovations in the food industry, functional foods, utilization of unconventional raw materials and by-products
  • Building of databases of analytical characteristics as a tool for authentication and of food quality and safety assessment
  • Consulting service for food industry and government authorities
  • Analytical service (price list - HERE)

Center of Excellence instrument infrastructure:

  • Laboratories of Gas and Liquid Chromatography with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS, LC-MS/MS, Q-TOF-LC/MS, DART-LC/MS), Ultraviolet (HPLC-UV a DAD) a Olfactometric Detection (GC-O)
  • Laboratory spectral properties characterization (antioxidant capacity, thermooxidative stability, content of phenolics, flavonoids and colour measurements using EPR and UV-VIS-NIR methods)
  • Laboratory of cereal technology and food quality assessment (rheological analysis using Mixolab device, bakery oven with proving chamber, texture analysis, colour analysis, crude fibre analyzer, water content, water activity analyzer)
  • Laboratory of wine and viticulture
  • Sensory laboratory with the panel of trained evaluators and modern computation technique

Cooperation offered for research organization and industry:

  • Evaluation of quality of primary food products
  • Innovations in food industry
  • Utilization of food primary- and by- products with  technological processing design
  • Research in extraction and characterization of valuable food components (antioxidants, natural colorants, biologically active compounds) and development of novel food products with added value
  • Analysis of food contaminants and consultation to minimize their occurrence
  • Authentication and detection of adulteration of foods
  • Comprehensive analysis of grapevine and wine
  • Professional advisory activities, seminars and education trainings
  • Utilization of infrastructure and laboratory instruments with professional experience
    • Chromatographic techniques (GC-MS/MS, LC-MS/MS, GC-O, GC-FID, HPLC-UV) for analysis of nutrients (amino acids, saccharides, fatty acids), contaminants (acrylamide, HMF, mycotoxins, PAH, PCB, ethylcarbamate) and aroma active compounds
    • Spectroscopic techniques (EPR, UV-VIS-NIR) for analysis of antioxidant properties, polyphenols, flavonoids and colour
    • Mixolab device for flour quality and rheology analysis
    • Textural analyzer (wide applications for food products, packaging materials etc.)
    • Trained panel of sensory evaluators for various food commodities (bread, juices, honey, novel foods etc.)

Current research projects:

  • Bioactive compounds of sea-buckthorn and their application in functional foods (2018-2021, principal investigator: Ing. Zuzana Ciesarová, CSc.)
  • Complex utilization of plant biomass in biofoods with added value (Biofoods) (2017-2022, principal investigator: prof. Ing. Štefan Schmidt, PhD., responsible investigator at NPPC VUP: Ing. Martin Polovka, PhD.)
  • Establishment of pilot facility and the development of mass rearing methods for edible insects production (2018-2021, principal investigator: RNDr. Milan Kozánek, CSc.; responsible investigator at NPPC VUP: doc. RNDr. Peter Siekel, CSc.);
  • Collaborative study of acrylamide occurrence and qualitative aspects of Triticale-based confectionery products (2019-2020, principal investigator: Ing. Kristína Kukurová, PhD.);
  • Biotransformation as potent tool of plant enzymes for the preparation of natural aroma compounds (2018-2022, principal investigator: Ing. Vladimír Sitkey, PhD. – Axxence Slovakia)

Major completed projects:

  • Improvement of nutritional and sensorial parameters of fruit and vegetable juices by inert gas application (2012-2015, budget: 1 718 577,77 €, principal investigator: Ing. Ľubomír Daško, PhD.)
  • Strategy of acrylamide elimination in technology procedure od food production (CEX-3, 2010-2015, budget: 939 347,90 €, principal investigator: Ing. Zuzana Ciesarová, CSc.)
  • Centre of Excellence for contaminants and microorganisms in foods (CEX-2, 2010-2014, budget: 2 649 854,76 €, principal investigator:  Ing. Zuzana Ciesarová, CSc.)
  • Utilization of regional resources for functional food production (HUSK, Hungary-Slovakia Cross-border Cooperation Programme, 2010-2012, budget: 1 145 682,70 €, principal investigator: doc. Ing. Stanislav Šilhár, CSc., Ing. Martin Polovka, PhD.)
  • Establishment of „HiTech“ centre for research of formation, elilmination and evaluation of contaminants in foods (CEX-1, 2009-2010, budget: 738 451,84 €, principal investigator: Ing. Zuzana Ciesarová, CSc.)

Other completed projects:

  • Quality and authenticity of fruit juices - study of relationships between the origin of feedstock, processing technology and quality of fruit juices (2016–2019, principal investigator: Ing. Martin Polovka, PhD.)
  • Cooperation in research and development of sea-buckthorn enriched foods (2017-2018, principal investigator: Ing. Zuzana Ciesarová, CSc.)
  • Support of Slovak food production by improvement of their quality and safety (2016-2018, principal investigator: Ing. Martin Polovka, PhD.)

International cooperation:

Cooperation with industry:

Awards:

Other activities:

  • Food fair Danubius Gastro, Incheba Bratislava
  • Agricultural and food exhibition Agrokomplex, Nitra
  • Science and Technology Week in the Slovak republic (publicity)
  • Science Film Festival (Safe and tasty foods, 2016) http://vedanadosah.cvtisr.sk/bezpecne-achutne-potraviny
  • Chemical Horizons (publicity of Slovak Chemical Society)