The Laboratory for Technology of Carbohydrates and Confectionery Products was founded in 1956 as the Laboratory for the Technology of Sugar and Starch, at the same time when the study of the Food Technology was established at the Faculty of Technology. The first head of the Laboratory was Prof. Slobodan Šušić, and in 1962 Zvonimir Gerić, senior lecturer, took over. In 1989, the Laboratory changed its name to the Laboratory for Technology of Carbohydrates and Confectionery Products, and Prof. Damir Karlovic, PhD, became its head. He remained head until 2009, when he was elected professor emeritus. Since 2009, the head of the Laboratory has been Prof. Draženka Komes, PhD.
The basic activity of the Laboratory for Technology of Carbohydrates and Confectionery Products is education of students in undergraduate and graduate studies, on the technology of carbohydrates and non-carbohydrate sweeteners, cocoa and confectionery products, processing and production of tea and coffee, as well as growing and processing of raw materials used as coffee alternatives.
Scientific activity of the Laboratory comprises the evaluation and application of novel techniques for the production of plant-derived food products, especially confectionery products, coffee, tea and sweeteners, with the aim of producing nutritively highly valuable food products. The research studies are focused on the application of up-to-date knowledge in developing new processes and products, including all stages of processing, from raw materials to final products, as well as on designing functional food products and developing innovative instrumental/analytical techniques for the determination of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of various food products. Due to the wide research aspects covered by the Laboratory, which can also be attributed to excellent collaboration with international scientific institutions, the scientific activity of the Laboratory is very interdisciplinary and succesfull.
