The Department of Food Technology, Engineering and Science (DTECAL) was founded in 1992 as part of the University of Lleida (UdL), institution set up by a law passed by the Catalan Parliament this same year. It continues the legacy of the former Department with the same name, existing in Lleida since 1987, before UdL was refounded, and belonging to the Politechnic University of Catalonia.

It is a pluridisciplinary Department that gathers staff working in two different areas of knowledge, “Food Technology” and “Nutrition and Bromatology”, which, complementarily, embrace in a comprehensive way every aspect related with food manufacturing and preservation, from the input of raw materials in the food industry, their processing taking into account all eligible technologies, to the final product, assessing their nutritional properties and their quality, with special stress in all aspects related with food and process safety.

According to the data provided by the Spanish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Environment, Food Industry accounts for 15% of the whole income of the European manufacturing industry, being its yearly revenue above 1.017.000 M€. In Spain, food and beverage industry stays as the first industrial activity, accounting for 20,5% of the net sales, 18,4% of employees and 15,1% of added value. Our Department of Food Technology, Engineering and Science contributes to this growing activity forming the professionals who, in the next years, will be in charge of leading this capital sector and carrying out R+D and innovation working closely with the industries.

From the teaching point of view, FoodTech plays a major role in the following degrees:

- Degree in Food Science and Technology

- Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics

- Degree in Biotechnology

- Degree in Agricultural and Food Engineering

- Double degree in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science and Production

- Double degree in Human Nutrition and Health and Physiotherapy (Igualada Campus)

Apart from this, FoodTech is responsible and coordinator of the Master's Degree in Management and Innovation in the Food Industry and plays an active teaching in the Master's Degree in Agricultural Engineering.

Regarding Research the Department of Food Technology, Engineering and Science carries it out in the following fields:

- Antioxidants.
- Nutritional quality of foods.
- Food engineering and enzimology.
- Applied mycology.
- New food processing technologies.
- Postharvest technology and quality of fruit.