The University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna grew out of the k.k. School for Horse Cures (Pferde-Curen) and Operations founded in 1765 by the Empress Maria Theresia, with the Institute for Nutrition tracing its origins to 1912, when chemistry professor Theodor Panzer was appointed as the first honorary docent for study of animal nutrition.

After Panzer’s death in 1923, the field of feedstuff science was merged with the department of milk hygiene and food science founded in 1920 and at that time operating under the auspices of Assistant Professor Franz Zaribnicky. In 1925, Zaribnicky became a full professor and in 1928, he was awarded the title Professor of Milk Hygiene, Food and Feed Science.

After Zaribnicky’s longtime colleague Friedrich Münchberg became full professor in 1955, the Institute was reconceived as the Chair and Institute for Animal Nutrition, Milk Hygiene and Food Science in keeping with the scope of its research and teaching activities, which encompassed not only feed science, but also the basics of nutritional physiology, feed hygiene, and special studies in animal feed science and technology.

As a result of the expansion of individual subject areas, the Institute was subdivided after Münchberg’s retiring to the post of professor emeritus. In spring of 1971, Hermann Zucker became full professor of the newly titled Institute for Animal Nutrition, followed by Josef Leibetseder in 1975 after Zucker’s return to Munich.
Since Leibetseder was also involved in research and teaching in the field of human nutrition, the Institute was renamed the Institute for Nutrition in 1978.

In autumn 2002, Jürgen Zentek took over as head of the institute and held that position until his appointment to the FU Berlin in April 2005. While Zentek continued to work at the institute on a reduced basis for several years, Josef Troxler (head of the Institute for Animal Husbandry and Animal Welfare) was appointed acting director of the institute.

It was not until October 2010 that Qendrim Zebeli was appointed as the new head of the institute—which had since been renamed the Institute for Animal Nutrition—with a focus on “livestock nutrition.”
Beginning in October 2012, following the retirement of Chlodwig Franz (Head of the Institute for Applied Botany and Pharmacognosy), the two institutes merged under the name “Institute for Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds” under the leadership of Qendrim Zebeli. Between 2018 and 2026, the institute was expanded to include the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Gut Health Concepts in Farm Animals, funded by the Christian Doppler Research Association. As part of the Vetmeduni+ university reform in 2024, the two institutes (Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds and Animal Welfare Sciences) were merged to form the “Center for Animal Nutrition and Animal Welfare Sciences,” headed by Qendrim Zebeli.