Research at the Department is devoted to new techniques of isolation, preparation and special analysis of sugars in cereals, cereal foods, confections, products from starch and sugar industry and also many agricultural raw materials. It involves a development of modern methods for isolation of β-glucans and study of polysaccharide structure, which is of considerable importance for production of modern coagulants and derivatives. An attention is also paid to better utilization of food raw materials, waste and by-products, application of membrane and chromatographic techniques for separation and isolation of valuable compounds and their further use as, e.g., biodegradable plastics (utilization of polysaccharides for food and non-food applications) or prebiotics (lactose) components. The Department collaborates with industrial partners on monitoring of food quality and the application of HACCP. The department’s staff is also involved in the development of database of food raw material, by-product and final product properties (mathematical models of process and technology management).
Current research topics and areas of expertise:
• Technological processes simulation, modeling and balance calculation
• Database of sugar and ethanol solutions properties, development of equations and computer programs for calculation of physical properties
• Crystallization from solutions: computer control of technological processes,
• metastable zone determination by ultrasonic technique
• Computer Image Analysis application in carbohydrate technologies
• Development of new procedures for carbohydrate isolation: membrane nano- and ultrafiltration, continuous chromatographic process
• Biofuels from carbohydrates: non-waste production of ethanol and sucrose production
• Photo-catalytic degradation of impurities in wastewaters from food industry
• Application of ultrasound in food technologies
• Carbohydrates and other grain components analysis
• Spectroscopic and thermal analysis of polysaccharides and their derivatives
• Food fiber in cereals, non-traditional cereals application
• Rheology and mechanical properties of dough and fillings
• Methods of cereal raw materials and products quality control
• Nutritional evaluation of cereals
• Application of the HACCP system in milling and baking facilities
• Preparation of different forms of materials prepared from polysaccharides and testing of their properties
• Application of physical methods in analysis of food raw materials and products
• Starch derivatives – preparation and analytics
• Physico-chemical analysis of chocolate and confectionery products
• Re-use and further processing of by-products from carbohydrate technologies
• Application of a laboratory single-screw extruder for development of new food and non-food materials
Contacts
doc. Ing. Marcela Sluková, Ph.D., Department Head
Tel: +420 220 44 3112, E-mail: Marcela.Slukova@vscht.cz