FOOD QUALITY AND CONSUMER STUDIES Erasmus Project

Project Title

FOOD QUALITY AND CONSUMER STUDIES

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Agriculture, forestry and fisheries; Research and innovation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Project “Quality Food & Consumer Studies” thematically followed the “European Consumer Agenda – Boosting confidence and growth for 2012 – 2020” that identified the key measures needed to empower consumer and boost their trust. In the field of research and innovation it payed attention to deeper scientific understanding of consumer behavior and the health, safety and sustainability aspects of the choices they face. Recent initiatives included also the “Quality Package” adopted by the Commission in 2010, which aimed to improve information for consumers on food quality through a comprehensive policy on certification schemes, value – adding terms and standards for agricultural products.
The aim of the project was to modernize and improve the quality of university education in the field of food science, food marketing and consumer studies, applied through the synergic effect of international cooperation, transfer of innovation and creation of new values in project consortium of 10 partners from 9 EU countries. The partnership was geographically balanced and composed of 8 universities (Slovak Republic, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Spain, United Kingdom – they left project partnership and Denmark) and 2 institutions/companies from the business sector (Germany, Netherlands). In terms of characteristics of participants, the main target groups were university teachers and university students. The third target group were people from enterprises, and research institutes with the aim to transfer knowledge from theory into practice. In terms of project profile, it was focused on 2 topics – Food Science (Food Quality section) and Sales and Marketing (Consumer Studies section).
Project in the form of international mobility and training activities as well as through transfer of knowledge and creation of new values created a framework and conditions for the development and pilot implementation of 6 intellectual outputs focused on food quality, safety, sensory studies, sensory and aroma marketing, neuromarketing for food marketers, augmented reality for food marketers and consumers, health, nutrition, food consumer trends and product development. Intellectual outcomes in three cases represented not only innovative, but an entirely new product in the field of education , which had not been used in the educational process at partner universities so far (aroma and sensory marketing, neuromarketing for food marketers, augmented reality for food marketers).
Intellectual outcomes were presented in the form of books, methodologies, supplemented by CDs, videopresentations so that they can subsequently be used for the pilot implementation of blended learning in two online modules and summer schools (Food & Sensory & Consumer and Neuromarketing and Augmented Reality). To disseminate the results at local, national and European / transnational level, two international workshops and participation at two presentations events (International Scientific Days in Nitra in Slovakia and at the same time Festival of Science and Education in Poland and Agricultural exhibition AGROKOMPLEX 2017 in Slovakia) were planned apart from the usual dissemination activities.
Results of the project were contribute to the quality and modernization of teaching content and methodology of teaching at partner universities, contribute to quality education of future graduates, who would be prepared to bring innovative solutions into the food industry and trade as well as they would available for transfer into the business sector.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 262897,75 Eur

Project Coordinator

SLOVENSKA POLNOHOSPODARSKA UNIVERZITA V NITRE & Country: SK

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITAET FUER BODENKULTUR WIEN
• NOLDUS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BV
• UNIVERZITA TOMASE BATI VE ZLINE
• UNIVERSITY OF NORTHUMBRIA AT NEWCASTLE
• AARHUS UNIVERSITET
• INTEGAR – Institut für Technologien im Gartenbau GmbH
• UNIWERSYTET EKONOMICZNY W POZNANIU