13th Central European Congress on Food – CEFood 2026

Organizer: University of food technologies

13th Central European Congress on Food - CEFood 2026

Date

September 23rd - 26th 2026

Hour

9:00 h.

Location

Radisson Hotel Plovdiv

Onsite Event

Invitation

Dear Participants,

We, the University of Food Technologies, are privileged and honored to warmly invite you to participate in the 13th Central European Congress on Food 2026 (CEFood 2026), which will be held in the oldest living city in Europe – Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 23rd to September 26th 2026.

CEFood 2026 will be hosted at the prestigious Radisson Hotel Plovdiv, offering an excellent setting for academic exchange and collaboration in the vibrant cultural heart of Plovdiv. As the European Capital of Culture in 2019, Plovdiv provides a unique blend of history, innovation, and cultural heritage that will enrich the congress experience. Being one of the oldest cities in Europe and a leading educational and research hub, Plovdiv serves as an inspiring location for fostering scientific dialogue and innovation.

We invite researchers, scholars, professionals, and enthusiasts in the fields of food science and technology, and related topics to present their latest findings and innovations. The scientific program will also encompass areas such as biotechnology, food engineering and industrial technologies, tourism and hospitality, as well as interdisciplinary topics that connect science with practice. Inspiring plenary lectures will serve as the cornerstone for each session in the final program, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration across diverse domains.

Prof. Galin Ivanov, DSc – Rector of UFT and Honorary Congress Chairman

Prof. Georgi Kostov, DSc – Congress Chairman

Topics

General topics: Circularity & Consumer Science; Emerging Technologies & Education; Functional & Future Foods; One Health & Omics; Open Innovation & Opportunities; Digital & Green Dimensions

Committees

Local Organizing Committee (LOC)

Georgi Kostov, Galin Ivanov, Georgi Dobrev, Dessislav Balev, Albert Krastanov, Venelina Popova, Plamen Mollov, Kiril Mihalev, Vesela Shopska, Rositsa Denkova-Kostova, Anton Slavov, Tzveta Luizova-Horeva, Kostadin Fikiin, Sonia Burgudzhieva, Gabriéla Versteeg, Dessislava Vangelova

Scientific Committee

Dasha Mihaylova, Diana Bogueva, Diego Garcia Gonzalo, Alain Le Bail, James Carson, Angela Capece, Stefan Dragoev, Velizar Gochev, Cristina Luísa Silva, Manubu Watanabe, Charles Brennan

International Advisory and Honorary Committee

Peter Raspor, Diána Bánáti, Kostadin Fikiin, Kata Galić, Peter Šimko, Viktor Nedović, Vladimir Kakurinov, Ovidiu Tița, Zlatan Sarić

The members of the International Advisory and Honorary Committee understand and exercise their responsibility in promoting CEFood in their countries at all relevant scientific and professional levels and circles.

Call for Abstracts

Аll interested participants are welcomed to submit an abstract at CEFOOD2026@uft-plovdiv.bg in accordance with the guidelines provided below. All accepted abstracts will be included in an official electronic publication.
The extended deadline for abstract submission is May 31, 2026.

Congress journals

BIO Web of Conferences (https://www.bio-conferences.org/) is an Open Access publication series dedicated to archiving conference proceedings dealing with all fundamental and applied research aspects in the fields of life sciences. All traditional areas of biology, such as physiology, botany, zoology, genetics and microbiology, as well as related fields such as biomedical, pharmacology, agriculture and agri-food are covered by the aims and scope of the journal. Interdisciplinary areas such as biochemistry, biophysics, biodiversity, bioengineering and biotechnology are also in the fields of publication of BIO Web of Conferences.

BIO Web of Conferences offers a wide range of services from the organization of the submission of conference proceedings to the worldwide dissemination of the conference papers. It provides an efficient archiving solution, ensuring maximum exposure and wide indexing of scientific conference proceedings.

Proceedings are published under the scientific responsibility of the conference editors.

Selected publications from the participation in the congress will be published within the framework of the participation fee in the indexed journal of UFT-Plovdiv

“Food science and applied biotechnology” (e-ISSN: 2603-3380; DOI prefix: 10.30721; Edited by: Stefan G. Dragoev) (https://www.ijfsab.com/index.php/fsab).

Food Science and Applied Biotechnology (e-ISSN: 2603-3380) is an international journal that provides an advanced forum for studies related to the fundamentals and innovations in food science and applied biotechnology.

It is a double-blind peer-reviewed journal that publishes high-quality research papers in the areas of food science and technology, applied biotechnology, bioprocess engineering, food process engineering, food chemistry and biochemistry, food microbiology and safety, food ecology and toxicology, food and nutrition, dietetics and catering. The journal ensures rapid turnaround time for reviews and publication.

Food Science and Applied Biotechnology publishes original research papers, review articles, including critical reviews, short communications and technical notes on the latest developments in food science and applied biotechnology, with a strong emphasis on originality and scientific quality.

Location

Radisson Hotel Plovdiv

https://hotelimperial.bg/

6 Lev Tolstoy Street, Plovdiv 4017, Bulgaria

Registration

Type of registration fee	Early bird registration fee /until 15 June/	Late and on-site registration fee /after 15 June/
Basic fee	200 EUR	260 EUR
Full fee	390 EUR	500 EUR
Reduced basic fee (EFFoST members)	180 EUR	220 EUR
Reduced full fee (EFFoST members)	350 EUR	450 EUR
Reduced basic fee (students, PhD students)	140 EUR	180 EUR
Reduced full fee (students, PhD students)	270 EUR	350 EUR
Industry member fee	700 EUR	900 EUR

The Basic Fee includes:
Access to the scientific programme and exhibition, delegate kit, certificate of participation, Book of Abstracts (electronic version), one publication (full-text paper in the Congress journal), coffee breaks, and a cocktail reception.

The Full Fee includes:
Access to the scientific programme and exhibition, delegate kit, certificate of participation, Book of Abstracts (electronic version), one publication (full-text paper in the Congress journal), coffee breaks, cocktail reception, three lunches, and two dinners.

Additional publication:
An extra full-text publication in the Congress journal can be requested and paid separately at the price of ЕUR 50.

All Fees include participation in the parallel event:

73rd International Scientific Conference

“Food Science, Engineering and Technologies – 2026”

Within the framework of CEFOOD 2026, the 73rd International Scientific Conference “Food Science, Engineering and Technologies – 2026” will be held as a parallel event. The scientific forum brings together the achievements of scientists, researchers, industry experts, entrepreneurs and innovators, who present their developments and research, thereby defining the leading trends for the development of the food industry. Within the framework of the conference, scientific reports and practical solutions will be presented in the following thematic areas: Food Science and Technology, Food Chemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Technology and Process Engineering in the Food Industry, Food, Nutrition and Dietetics and others.

The conference offers the opportunity to participate with plenary reports, oral and poster presentations, with the working language being English. After independent review, scientific articles are published in the journal BIO Web of Conferences, indexed in Scopus.

PAYMENT
Payment of conference fees in Euros (€) must accompany all registration forms. No registration will be confirmed until payment is received. The registration fee should be paid in advance using one of the following methods:

online by bank card via the registration platform
by bank transfer

INVOICING
CME Ltd issues invoices for all received registration fee payments. A letter of confirmation will be sent to all participants on receipt of the respective payment.

CANCELLATION POLICY
Only written cancellations to CME will be considered:

Before 15 June 2026 – 100% refund (excl. 20 euro for EU-citizens and 40 Euro for non-EU citizens for bank and administrative fee)
No refunds will be provided as of 15 June 2026 or for no shows.

Schedule

23/09/2026, Wednesday

24/09/2026, Thursday

25/09/2026, Friday

26/09/2026, Saturday

16:30 - 18:00Registration
18:00 - 19:30Poster session 1
19:30Welcome cocktail

9:00Official opening
9:30 - 11:00Plenary & Keynote talks
11:00 - 13:00Session 1 - Sustainable and circular food systems
13:00 - 14:30Lunch
14:30 - 16:00Session 2 - Digitalization and industry in the food chain
16:00 - 18:00Poster session 2
16:30 - 19:30Workshop “Bulgarian wine and foods – tradition and innovations”
20:30 Dinner

9:30 - 11:00Plenary & Keynote talks
11:00 - 13:00Session 3 - Advanced Processing and Safety Technologies
13:00 - 14:30Lunch
14:30 - 15:30Session 4 - Functional, personalized and future foods
15:30 - 18:3073rd scientific conference “Food science, technique and technologies - 2026”
16:00 - 18:00Poster session 3
20:00 Official congress dinner /with folk music and Bulgarian dances/

9:30 - 11:00Plenary & Keynote talks
11:00 - 13:00Session 5 – One health, innovation & competitiveness
13:00 - 14:30Lunch
14:30Congress closing

Program

Supporters & Partners

Speakers

Accommodation

Radisson Hotel Plovdiv

https://radissonplovdiv.bg/bg/nachalo/

6, Lev Tolstoy str., Plovdiv

Useful Information

GETTING THERE

Getting to Plovdiv

The main airport for Plovdiv is Sofia airport. Plovdiv has an existing air transport infrastructure, however the current traffic at Plovdiv Airport is pretty low and it operates mainly charter and low cost flights from/to London.

From/to Sofia there are many daily buses and trains. Buses heading to Plovdiv operate almost every hour of the day and the bus ride takes less than the train one, about 2 hours.

Organized transfers

Organized transfers (individual and shared) will be provided from Sofia Airport to the venue of the conference and back for the days of the event. You will be able to book your transfers through the online registration system after January 31, 2026.

Getting to the venue

The address of Radisson Hotel Plovdiv is 6, Lev Tolstoy str. / 1A, Arch. Kamen Petkov str.

CITY TRANSPORT

Plovdiv does not have a metro, but it has a well-developed city bus network.

Taxis also provide a quick, convenient, and reasonably priced option for getting around the city.

PASSPORTS & VISAS

Bulgaria has the European Union’s Common Visa Policy as a member country accepting European citizens freely. All non-EU citizens are required to have a passport to enter the EU with the appropriate visas. Conference attendees are personally responsible for making their own visa arrangements. You can find out more about visas at https://www.mfa.bg/en/services-travel/consular-services/travel-bulgaria/visa-bulgaria.

However, if you need an invitation letter, please send a mail to petia@cmebg.com.

MONETARY SYSTEM

Bulgaria will adopt the Euro (EUR) as its official currency starting from January 1, 2026, and all payments, both in cash and by card, will be made in euros.

TIPPING

When a gratuity is not included in your bill, which is usually the case, 10% is customary. If service is outstanding, you could go as high as 15%. With taxi drivers, you usually just round up the sum if you have been happy with the ride or for the sake of convenience.

CLIMATE

The climate in Bulgaria is moderate continental with beautiful blooming spring, dry and hot summer, long and pleasant autumn, and mild winter with lots of opportunity for skiing.

At the end of September, the weather in Bulgaria is usually mild and pleasant with daily temperatures of around 22–25 °C. The weather in Plovdiv is usually milder and sunnier than the rest of the country.

You may check current weather in Plovdiv HERE.

TIME

Summer time: GMT + 3 hrs. (March through October)

ELECTRICITY

220 Volts, 50 Hz

Bulgaria uses CEE 7/4 (German “Schuko”) power plugs and sockets.

CONGRESS MANAGEMENT AND EVENTS Ltd.

www.cmebg.com

Petia Sokolova

petia@cmebg.com

Date

Hour

Location

Invitation

Dear Participants,

We, the University of Food Technologies, are privileged and honored to warmly invite you to participate in the 13th Central European Congress on Food 2026 (CEFood 2026), which will be held in the oldest living city in Europe – Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from September 23rd to September 26th 2026.

Prof. Galin Ivanov, DSc – Rector of UFT and Honorary Congress Chairman

Prof. Georgi Kostov, DSc – Congress Chairman

Topics

General topics: Circularity & Consumer Science; Emerging Technologies & Education; Functional & Future Foods; One Health & Omics; Open Innovation & Opportunities; Digital & Green Dimensions

Detailed topics

Committees

Local Organizing Committee (LOC)

Georgi Kostov, Galin Ivanov, Georgi Dobrev, Dessislav Balev, Albert Krastanov, Venelina Popova, Plamen Mollov, Kiril Mihalev, Vesela Shopska, Rositsa Denkova-Kostova, Anton Slavov, Tzveta Luizova-Horeva, Kostadin Fikiin, Sonia Burgudzhieva, Gabriéla Versteeg, Dessislava Vangelova

Scientific Committee

Dasha Mihaylova, Diana Bogueva, Diego Garcia Gonzalo, Alain Le Bail, James Carson, Angela Capece, Stefan Dragoev, Velizar Gochev, Cristina Luísa Silva, Manubu Watanabe, Charles Brennan

International Advisory and Honorary Committee

Peter Raspor, Diána Bánáti, Kostadin Fikiin, Kata Galić, Peter Šimko, Viktor Nedović, Vladimir Kakurinov, Ovidiu Tița, Zlatan Sarić

The members of the International Advisory and Honorary Committee understand and exercise their responsibility in promoting CEFood in their countries at all relevant scientific and professional levels and circles.

Call for Abstracts

Аll interested participants are welcomed to submit an abstract at CEFOOD2026@uft-plovdiv.bg in accordance with the guidelines provided below. All accepted abstracts will be included in an official electronic publication. The extended deadline for abstract submission is May 31, 2026.

Abstract_template_CEFOOD26

Congress journals

Proceedings are published under the scientific responsibility of the conference editors.

Selected publications from the participation in the congress will be published within the framework of the participation fee in the indexed journal of UFT-Plovdiv

“Food science and applied biotechnology” (e-ISSN: 2603-3380; DOI prefix: 10.30721; Edited by: Stefan G. Dragoev) (https://www.ijfsab.com/index.php/fsab).

Food Science and Applied Biotechnology (e-ISSN: 2603-3380) is an international journal that provides an advanced forum for studies related to the fundamentals and innovations in food science and applied biotechnology.

Food Science and Applied Biotechnology publishes original research papers, review articles, including critical reviews, short communications and technical notes on the latest developments in food science and applied biotechnology, with a strong emphasis on originality and scientific quality.

Location

Radisson Hotel Plovdiv

Registration

The Basic Fee includes:Access to the scientific programme and exhibition, delegate kit, certificate of participation, Book of Abstracts (electronic version), one publication (full-text paper in the Congress journal), coffee breaks, and a cocktail reception.

The Full Fee includes:Access to the scientific programme and exhibition, delegate kit, certificate of participation, Book of Abstracts (electronic version), one publication (full-text paper in the Congress journal), coffee breaks, cocktail reception, three lunches, and two dinners.

Additional publication:An extra full-text publication in the Congress journal can be requested and paid separately at the price of ЕUR 50.

All Fees include participation in the parallel event:

73rd International Scientific Conference

“Food Science, Engineering and Technologies – 2026”

The conference offers the opportunity to participate with plenary reports, oral and poster presentations, with the working language being English. After independent review, scientific articles are published in the journal BIO Web of Conferences, indexed in Scopus.

Schedule

23/09/2026, Wednesday

24/09/2026, Thursday

25/09/2026, Friday

26/09/2026, Saturday

Supporters & Partners

Speakers

Prof. Alain Le-Bail

Assoc. Prof. Angela Capece

Assoc. Prof. James Carson

Prof. Stefan Dragoev

Prof. Diego Garcia Gonzalo

Prof. Manabu Watanabe

Sponsors

Accommodation

Radisson Hotel Plovdiv

Useful Information

GETTING THERE

Getting to Plovdiv

The main airport for Plovdiv is Sofia airport. Plovdiv has an existing air transport infrastructure, however the current traffic at Plovdiv Airport is pretty low and it operates mainly charter and low cost flights from/to London.

From/to Sofia there are many daily buses and trains. Buses heading to Plovdiv operate almost every hour of the day and the bus ride takes less than the train one, about 2 hours.

Organized transfers

Organized transfers (individual and shared) will be provided from Sofia Airport to the venue of the conference and back for the days of the event. You will be able to book your transfers through the online registration system after January 31, 2026.

Getting to the venue

The address of Radisson Hotel Plovdiv is 6, Lev Tolstoy str. / 1A, Arch. Kamen Petkov str.

CITY TRANSPORT

Plovdiv does not have a metro, but it has a well-developed city bus network.

Taxis also provide a quick, convenient, and reasonably priced option for getting around the city.

PASSPORTS & VISAS

However, if you need an invitation letter, please send a mail to petia@cmebg.com.

MONETARY SYSTEM

Bulgaria will adopt the Euro (EUR) as its official currency starting from January 1, 2026, and all payments, both in cash and by card, will be made in euros.

TIPPING

When a gratuity is not included in your bill, which is usually the case, 10% is customary. If service is outstanding, you could go as high as 15%. With taxi drivers, you usually just round up the sum if you have been happy with the ride or for the sake of convenience.

CLIMATE

The climate in Bulgaria is moderate continental with beautiful blooming spring, dry and hot summer, long and pleasant autumn, and mild winter with lots of opportunity for skiing.

At the end of September, the weather in Bulgaria is usually mild and pleasant with daily temperatures of around 22–25 °C. The weather in Plovdiv is usually milder and sunnier than the rest of the country.

You may check current weather in Plovdiv HERE.

TIME

Summer time: GMT + 3 hrs. (March through October)

ELECTRICITY

220 Volts, 50 Hz

Аll interested participants are welcomed to submit an abstract at CEFOOD2026@uft-plovdiv.bg in accordance with the guidelines provided below. All accepted abstracts will be included in an official electronic publication.
The extended deadline for abstract submission is May 31, 2026.

The Basic Fee includes:
Access to the scientific programme and exhibition, delegate kit, certificate of participation, Book of Abstracts (electronic version), one publication (full-text paper in the Congress journal), coffee breaks, and a cocktail reception.

The Full Fee includes:
Access to the scientific programme and exhibition, delegate kit, certificate of participation, Book of Abstracts (electronic version), one publication (full-text paper in the Congress journal), coffee breaks, cocktail reception, three lunches, and two dinners.

Additional publication:
An extra full-text publication in the Congress journal can be requested and paid separately at the price of ЕUR 50.

At the end of September, the weather in Bulgaria is usually mild and pleasant with daily temperatures of around 22–25 °C. The weather in Plovdiv is usually milder and sunnier than the rest of the country.