“We train specialized and versatile professionals to lead the challenges faced by companies in the food sector.”

The food industry is at a turning point, marked by the need to offer healthier, more sustainable products that are tailored to increasingly informed and demanding consumers. In this context, the Master's Degree management and Nutritional Innovation in Food Companies at the School Pharmacy and Nutrition, which celebrated its first edition this academic year, goal train professionals capable of responding to the major challenges facing the sector. This is explained by Professor Amelia Martí, who emphasizes the importance of training that combines knowledge , business acumen, and social impact. 

How do you think innovation in the food sector can transform people's daily lives and the way we eat?

Innovation in food will not only change what we eat, but how we decide, buy, cook, and understand food.

The use of technology, for example, has already simplified our decisions with apps that scan labels and evaluate nutritional quality, with more transparent information in supermarkets, and with tools that enable automatic menu planning based on personal goals. 

Given this impact on our daily lives, what professionals are in demand in the food industry today? 

The food sector demands professionals capable of developing healthy and sustainable products. In this regard, the Master's Degree only provides the necessary knowledge in nutrition and health, but also trains students in management , preparing them to respond to the needs of today's market. It responds to the growing demands of the food sector in areas of innovation in nutrition and health, sustainability, and business competitiveness.

What is the added value of this Master's Degree to other similar programs? 

postgraduate program training in nutrition and health with subjects such as management sustainability, marketing and commercialization, as well as leadership, combining theoretical and practical classes supported by IESE's case methodology and taught by professionals and researchers research center University's research center .

One of the distinguishing features of this program is its approach . Each student completes up to six months of internships in companies in the food sector, innovation centers, or specialized institutions, where they have the opportunity to apply and refine the skills acquired during their time at the postgraduate program headquarters.

In addition, the program features the participation of leading professionals and experts from the agri-food sector, who share their experience and provide students internship an internship perspective, helping them understand the challenges and opportunities facing the food industry today.

Nutrition and health go hand in hand. What trends will shape this field in the coming years?

Some of the trends are precision nutrition, understood as the development of diets based on data science; everything related to intestinal health and the microbiome as the core of well-being; the design functional foods designed to age better; and the development alternative proteins and diets based on plants and sustainability.

Where is innovation heading in this sector, and how should the food industry respond?

It is necessary to innovate with purpose, combining the health of the planet with consumer health and business viability.

We are talking about five pillars: first, environmental sustainability and the need to integrate the Economics throughout the value chain. This involves everything from optimizing resources (raw materials, water, and energy) and using biodegradable packaging, to reducing food waste through more efficient preservation technologies. 

Secondly, the reformulation and development nutritionally superior products, reducing sugars, saturated fats, and salt without sacrificing the consumer's sensory experience. 

The third point refers to transparency and the need to build trust through clear labeling and manager, enabling consumers to make informed and conscious decisions.

Fourthly, we talk about resilience with the creation of robust, local supply chains supported by blockchain, ensuring full product traceability from source to table; and, finally, inclusion and holistic well-being to offer real solutions for conditions associated with per diem expenses, including food allergies and intolerances, as well as innovating in foods that positively impact mental health, cognitive performance, and emotional well-being.