Innovation in Food Systems and Nutrition

Master’s Programme

The Master in Innovation in Food Systems and Nutrition aims to enable students to understand the importance of innovation in nutrition, recognising them as determining factors for professional growth and development.

In addition, the master’s programme aims to empower professionals with differentiating tools, through the acquisition of skills in the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and marketing, for example, which enable the development of innovative and effective approaches to global problems in public health and nutrition. From the challenges associated with sustainable food production, to developing new (nutritionally balanced) food products, promoting health literacy and nutrition literacy, to nutritional intervention in a global context marked by the high costs (personal, social and economic) associated with chronic non-communicable diseases, students will develop skills, including their ability to critically analyse these challenges, combining research with the development of innovative solutions.

Programme Coordinator

(updating)

School

Health Sciences

City

Leiria

Language

English, Portuguese

Type

Distance Learning

Length

2 years

Vacancies

General and International contingent: 25

Notice

Notice 2025
Edital 2025 2v (PT Doc)

DGES certification

Link to Registration

Objectives

Programme

Relating health and nutrition literacy with health status;
Identify the nutritional characteristics of foods and health effects;
Recognize the impact of cognitive, social and cultural factors on food consumption;
Personalize nutritional intervention;
Apply advances in scientific knowledge about the effect of diets on health promotion;
Interpret legislation applied to the food sector;
Recognize the importance of sustainability in food systems;
Develop new healthy food products;
Apply nutritional marketing strategies;
Identify opportunities for applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT);
Planning the organization of a smart food service;
Prepare a business plan;
Develop a research project that integrates innovation in nutrition;
Develop a dissertation that contributes to science;
Search and critically analyze information, work autonomously and collaboratively.

Study Plan

ECTS: 120

1. Year
2. Year

1. Year
ID	Name	Semester	ECTS	Length
	Food Law in a Global Context	1S	5	45 h
S1. Food Law general principles S2. Theoretical and practical aspects of EU food regulation S3. Theoretical and practical aspects of food normalization S4. Regulatory provisions that are applicable to food S5. Regulatory environment: functional foods, novel foods, health claims, nutrition content claims S6. Challenges in regulating food
	Internet of Things and Intelligence Artificial in Nutrition	1S	5	40 h
S1 – Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and IoT S2 – Mathematical fundamentals of AI S3 – Application of artificial intelligence to Health S4 – Application of artificial intelligence to Dietetics and Nutrition S5 – Artificial intelligence and ethics: challenges and opportunities S6 – Implementing artificial intelligence projects in health and nutrition
	Public Health and Food and Nutrition Literacy	1S	6	45 h
S1. Public health in a global context 1.1 Concepts 1.2 Trends in morbidity and mortality 1.3 The impact of globalization on public health 1.4 Current challenges S2. Health literacy 2.1 Definition and impact on public health 2.2 Tools for assessing health literacy throughout the life cycle S3. Food and nutrition literacy 3.1 Definitions 3.2 The impact of food and nutrition literacy on individual and collective health 3.3 Tools for assessing food and nutritional literacy throughout the life cycle 3.3 Programms to promote food and nutritional literacy throughout the life cycle
	Advances in Clinical Nutrition	1S	8	60 h
S1 – Metabolic integration and regulation 1.1 Integration of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins metabolism 1.2 Chronobiology, metabolism and nutrition 1.3 Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics 1.4 Intestinal microbiota S2 – Update on food composition: 2.1 Food composition databases: what’s new? 2.2 Foods not included in the databases 2.3 Functional foods and bioactive compounds S3 – Update on clinical nutrition 3.1 Diet therapy in chronic non-communicable diseases 3.2 Behaviour change techniques as tools applied to clinical nutrition 3.3 Phytotherapy and food supplements applied to clinical nutrition 3.4 Hot topics in clinical nutrition
	Consumer Behavior and Marketing Strategy in Nutrition	1S	6	48 h
S1. Introduction to Food Marketing S2. Fundamentals of Consumer Behavior S3. Food consumption trends S4. Market Research and Data Analysis in Marketing S5. Food Marketing Strategies S6. Social marketing to promote healthy eating habits S7. Food marketing regulation S8. Ethics and Social Responsibility in Food Marketing S9. Digital Marketing
	Research Project	2S	6	45 h
S1 – Scientific research 1.1 Application of scientific research to Nutrition 1.2 Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodology in Nutrition S2 – How to develop a research project? 2.1 The research question 2.2 Literature review 2.3 Variables and hypotheses 2.4 Population and sample 2.5 Study design 2.6 Data collection methods 2.7 Formal and ethical procedures S3 – Statistics applied to research 3.1 Types of data and descriptive statistical analysis 3.2 Inferential statistical analysis: confidence intervals and hypothesis tests 3.3 Comparison between two groups 3.4 Comparison between three or more groups 3.5 Other applications of statistical analysis 3.6 Applying statistical software to data analysis S4 – Communicating the results of scientific research 4.1 Thesis 4.2 Scientific paper 4.3 Oral communication 4.4 Poster presentation 4.5 Dissemination of scientific knowledge
	Innovation in Food and Nutrition Services	2S	5	40 h
S1. Different types of Food Services 1.1 Hotels and Cruises, Restaurants (Traditional, Ready to Eat, Gourmet and Fast-Food Chains) 1.2 Canteens (Schools, Hospitals, Prisons, Nursing Homes, Factories) 1.3 Vending Machines and other particularities S2. Nutrition Management in Food Services 2.1 Training in Nutritional Literacy for food handlers 2.2 Technical Sheets with nutritional declarations and based on recipes and type of Food Service 2.3 Design of menus 2.4 Pricing strategies and menu engineering. S3. Food and Nutrition Service Management using IoT and artificial intelligence S4. Trends in smart and sustainable Food and Nutrition Services
	Sustainable Food Systems and Nutrition	2S	5	40 h
S1 – Global food systems S2 – Environmental sustainability S3 – Agrobiodiversity and Agroecology S4 – Food systems and primary production S5 – Indigenous, traditional and industrial food systems S6 – New strategies for improving food production and food systems S7 – Food supply chains S8 – Sustainable and nutrition-sensitive food systems for healthy diets and the prevention of malnutrition
	Technologies for the nutritional improvement of new processed food and diets	2S	6	46 h
S1. Food for the future: the challenges of a complex food system S2. Food degradation mechanisms S3. Principles of food preservation S4. Principles of formulation and processing of important food categories as potential transport systems for health ingredients. S5. Functionality of sustainable food ingredients in the development of innovative food products. S6. Current and emerging technologies for differentiated foods S7. IID stages for the development of a new food product (from laboratory to market, from prototype to large-scale production) and study of food impact on the diet S8. Quality control and regulatory aspects S9. Edible packaging and natural bionanomaterials for packaging S10. Case studies
	Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Nutrition Business	2S	8	60 h
CP1. Theories and concepts in entrepreneurship and innovation management CP2. Entrepreneurial and innovation processes, design thinking, development of business models in nutrition CP3. Feasibility analysis and development of a nutrition business model CP4. Financing CP5. Collaboration between start-ups and companies in the field of nutrition CP6. Innovation process and innovation management (in nutrition business) CP7. Case studies and lectures with invited experts CP8. Team project (application of entrepreneurship and innovation concepts to real situations)

2. Year
ID	Name	Semester	ECTS	Length
	Dissertation	Annual	60	50 h
The contents of the theses are defined, analyzed, and planned in meetings with supervisors (based on the area of Innovation in Nutrition) and in accordance with the themes of the various research proposals to be developed by the students.

Entry Requirements

Holders of a Bachelor’s degree or legal equivalent in Dietetics and Nutrition, Nutritional Sciences and related areas awarded by a national higher education institution;
Holders of a foreign higher academic degree, or legal equivalent, in Dietetics and Nutrition, Nutrition Sciences and related areas awarded following a 1st cycle of studies organized in accordance with the principles of the Bologna Process by a State adherent to this Process;
Holders of a national and foreign higher academic degree, which is recognized by the Technical-Scientific Council (TSC) of the School of Health Sciences (ESSLei) of the Instituto Politécnico de Leiria as satisfying the objectives of the Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and Nutrition or in related areas;
Holders of an academic, scientific or professional curriculum, which is recognized by the TSC of the ESSLei as attesting the ability to carry out this cycle of studies.

More information in International Students / Master´s Applications

Accreditation

State: Accredited
N. years of accreditation: 3
Publication date: 31/07/2024
A3ES Accreditation

More Information

The master’s programme in Innovation in Food Systems and Nutrition has a strong distance learning component, with face-to-face activities at the end of the 2nd semester of the 1st year, including seminars, laboratory activities, study visits and fieldwork.

For further information or clarification, please contact:
Vânia Sofia Ribeiro
vania.ribeiro@ipleiria.pt

studywithus@ipleiria.pt

Online Application

Use the button bellow to start your application.

How to apply

Application Fee

60€

Enrolment Fee

General contingent: 50€
International student contingent: 100€

Tuition Fee

General contingent: 1140€
International student contingent: 3000€

Innovation in Food Systems and Nutrition

Innovation in Food Systems and Nutrition

Programme Introduction

Programme Coordinator

School

City

Language

Type

Length

Vacancies

Notice

DGES certification

Objectives

Study Plan

Entry Requirements

Accreditation

More Information

Online Application

Application Fee

Enrolment Fee

Tuition Fee