In the field of food science and technology at CEBAS-CSIC the activity is oriented towards the study of plant foods key for the agro-food industry in the Region. This research is organised in two main lines:

- Bioactivity of plant foods.
- Quality and security of fruits and vegetables.

With respect to bioactivity of plant foods, the relationship between food components and human health is studied. To this aim, the biological activity of food components is investigated as well as their use in the production of functional food and nutraceutics. New production systems oriented towards increasing their content of bioactive components are studied as well.

Regarding the quality and security of fruits and vegetables, the risks of microbial contamination during production, processing and conservation are studied, as well as the effect of different genetic and agronomic factors on their constituents in order to generate healthy and safe foods. Technologies and procedures to ensure the quality and security of attractive and convenient foods for the consumer are developed. Furthermore, the scientific and technological knowledge required for the production of these foods is transferred to the productive sector.