The 13th Central European Congress on Food, CEFood 2026, officially opened in Plovdiv on Thursday. The international forum has been organized by the University of Food Technologies in Plovdiv, with Congress Management & Events Ltd as its congress partner.
CEFood 2026 brings together scientists, academics, representatives of the food industry, entrepreneurs and young researchers from Bulgaria and abroad. The scientific programme will feature the latest developments in food science and technology, biotechnology, food engineering, industrial technologies, tourism and hospitality, as well as interdisciplinary solutions linking science with practice.
The prestigious international forum was opened by Galin Ivanov, Rector of the University of Food Technologies. He said that the food system is currently facing serious challenges, including climate change, limited resources, the need to reduce waste, changing consumer attitudes and rapid technological progress.
The congress programme covers highly topical areas such as the circular economy, consumer science, new technologies and education, functional foods and the foods of the future, the relationship between food and health, open innovation, and the green and digital transformation.
In his address to the participants, Plovdiv Regional Governor Georgi Yanev stressed that Plovdiv is an important centre of the food-processing and canning industries. According to him, Plovdiv is not only an agricultural region; manufacturing accounts for 45% of the region’s gross domestic product. The Trakia Economic Zone has become one of the most developed industrial ecosystems not only in Bulgaria but also in Europe, Yanev stressed.
He said Plovdiv’s geographical location is a strategic advantage that provides grounds for the development of key transport, energy and digital connections in the future. “Here we can see this unique blend, this unique link between science and education, a connection that makes Plovdiv a natural place for this meeting,” Yanev said.
According to him, food security is one of the key challenges facing us. It includes the need to produce higher-value products of higher quality and greater food safety while using resources efficiently. This can only be achieved through joint efforts by the scientific community, businesses and institutions. This forum is precisely a place to discuss solutions and seek new innovative methods, new partnerships and new solutions, Yanev added.
The congress is being held with financial support from the National Science Fund of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The Central European Congress on Food is an international scientific initiative launched in Ljubljana in 2002. After being held in a number of European cities, the forum is returning to Bulgaria two decades later. CEFood 2026 continues this tradition as a platform for international cooperation, knowledge exchange and the development of sustainable solutions for the food sector.
Central European Congress on Food Kicks Off in Plovdiv THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-09-24 09:42:31
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BULGARIA NEWS – NEWS AGENCY 2009–2026 2026-09-24 09:42:31