Food and health

The quality of agricultural raw materials is closely linked to the cultivation or rearing methods used, and has a big impact on the quality of the final food products. Hygiene aspects of food, and illnesses contracted through food, are areas of research directly connected to our everyday lives. Examples of research into food include the development of new methods of analysing food with regard to fibre, starch, vitamins, antioxidants, oxidation, antibiotic residues, tenderness, etc. SLU's research is primarily conducted into the chemistry, hygiene, and toxicology of food, meat science, dairy products, and plant products. Discoveries resulting from research into plants and animals, in areas such as gene technology and veterinary medicine, can often enhance our understanding of humans and human health. For example, the genes of the pig are very similar to human genes. The healing effect of forests and gardens is another issue in SLU research.