We help to create a healthier, better tasting and safer future through the science of food and nutrition. With internationally acclaimed research and a global reputation for excellence, this is the place to make a difference - and you can be part of it.

The University of Reading is ranked 9^th in the world for Agriculture & Forestry, and is the only UK institution to appear in the top 50.*

Undergraduates

Do you love food? Do you love science? Do you want to know how we know what makes a healthy diet? Do you wonder why we like some foods and not others, why bread goes stale and how we know what a food's 'best before end' date is? If these are the questions which interest you, Food and Nutritional Sciences could be the career path for you. Studying the science of food and nutrition will allow you to develop a rewarding, lucrative career with the potential to make a real impact on the wider world.

Looking for your undergraduate degree? Start here. 

MSc Students

The breadth of our unique facilities and the quality of our expertise makes us an excellent choice for furthering your career in food and nutrition to postgraduate level. With all specialities of the field covered by one department, you will find an excellent opportunity to obtain a valuable master's degree whatever your interests.

Find your ideal master's course

PhD Students

Our research spans all aspects of food and nutrition from farm to fork and beyond. We focus on improving the quality and safety of food and diet to deliver heath benefits for society. We offer interdisciplinary research projects within a world-leading environment. With strong international links to industry and other institutions, you be can assured that your PhD will put you at the very centre of the world of food and nutritional sciences.

Learn more about our PhD programmes 

“I really liked the course and the people, and got a really friendly feel when I visited.”

Hannah Pettit of Ella's Kitchen

A world-leading research environment

The Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences has a long history of world class research, and Reading is one of the very best universities for research in food and health. We are a world-leading research environment, with a prestigious standing in the food industry and the academic community: in the latest Research Excellence Framework, 71% of our research outputs were recognised as world-leading or internationally excellent and 85% of our research was judged to have outstanding impact.

World-leading research  

Making impact In partnership with industry

We have been instrumental in many breakthroughs in food and health. We collaborate with many organisations in the food industry to help bring benefits to consumers looking for healthier, better tasting and safer foods than are sustainably produced. We welcome new partners who are looking for access to expertise or facilities to help them find innovative solutions to research and technical problems.

Partner with us to help develop the food industry's future 

Leading the way in food innovation

EIT Food is a £340 million EU food innovation project with the objective of halving food waste in Europe within a decade and reducing diet related health conditions by 2030. This ambitious project is run by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), who have awarded Reading a leading role in the work. The EIT will have a regional headquarters here in Reading, putting us at the heart of this potentially world-changing initiative.

Read more about EIT Food 

Uniquely wide ranging facilities

Your choice of institution needs to be taken seriously, whether you are preparing for a first degree, a higher degree or a research project. With that in mind, let's talk about why the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences at Reading is the right choice for you. One of the largest departments of its kind in the country, we have the most diverse facilities of any university in the UK.

Our facilities