Cornelia Witthöft

Cornelia Witthöft

Professor
Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
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I am a professor in Food Science with a focus on nutrition/food chemistry at the Department of Chemistry and Biomedicine. My research focuses on food quality and the development of new healthy foods. Therefore, I am interested to characterize the nutrients in raw material and food, and to study how food processing affects nutrient content. Additional focus is on research on diet-health associations. My special research interest over the recent 25 years has been research on the vitamin folate, for which in many countries suboptimal dietary intake has been reported. 

Teaching

I am teaching students in the subjects of food science, nutrition, food chemistry and food analysis in several of the LNU programs, e.g. the bachelor programs "Nutrition and Food Science" or "Health Science", as well as in a course in entrepreneurship. I am also tutor and examiner for BSc-theses.

Research

Well-being and health are affected by the diet, that should be both, healthy and tasty. Dietary surveys, however, show that our diet is far from optimal. The goal of improving food habits requires scientifically based nutrition recommendations, knowledge on food composition and a wide selection of tasty and healthy food. Studies on the composition of raw materials and foods, and on the effects of traditional household preparation or industrial processing on food quality and nutrient retention provide a basis for the development of novel healthy foods. To study diet-health associations, we use human modells or in vitro/simulation models to gain knowledge of nutrient bioavailability and metabolism. My special research interest since 25 years is the vitamin folate. This vitamin can be affected both positively and negatively by food processing, and still today knowledge about the vitamin's bioavailability and effects on health is limited.

Commissions

  • Deputy vice-chancellor responsible for research (since 2021)
  • Member of the Expert Group for Nutrition and Public Health (National Food Agency)
  • Nominated expert in the update of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2022
  • Member of the steering group of the ERUF project Livsmedelsutveckling Sydost (Food Development Southeast) in Kalmar county
  • Member of the steering group for the Torslunda Development Center of the Rural Economy and Agricultural Society/Hushållningssällskapet Kalmar-Kronoberg-Blekinge
  • Lnu:s contact person for food within Småland-Blekinge South Sweden (the joint EU office in Brussels for the region and the institutions of higher education)

Publications

Article in journal (Refereed)

Article in journal (Other academic)

Article in journal (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))

Chapter in book (Refereed)

Chapter in book (Other academic)

Conference paper (Refereed)

Report (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))

Artistic output (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))