The main structure of this research institute goes back to 1981 and the beginning of the activity of the "Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST)" in great Khorasan. After transforming this organization into science and technology parks in the provinces in 2002, this research institute was named "Technology Research Development Institute" and continued its activity.

According to the land improvement program and the advantages of the eastern region of the country in the field of agricultural production and food industry, in 2015, it continued its activity in this field by changing its name to the "Research Institute of Food Science and Technology (RIFST)".

Considering the records and performance of RIFST in the past years and its effectiveness in the food industry, the Higher Education Development Council of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology agreed to elevate this research institute's status.

The organizational structure of this institute consists of two research institutes, the "Institute of Food Science and Engineering" and the "Institute of Advanced Food Technologies", which will provide research, laboratory, technical and engineering consulting services in the field of food industry.

According to this resolution, the research departments of "Food machineries", "Food Processing" and "Food Chemistry" continue to operate as the subsets of the Institute of Food Science and Engineering and the research groups of "Food Nanotechnology", "Food Biotechnology" and "Food Safety and Quality Control" as the subsets of the Institute of Advanced Food Technologies.

Currently, RIFST, as one of the research institutes affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, in order to respond to domestic specialized needs, and considering the advantages of the eastern region of the country in the field of food industry, is operating as an independent national institute.

Recruiting research-oriented doctoral students, establishing extensive international connections to attain the latest research achievements of the world scientific centers in the field of food industry, as well as concluding internal contracts and MOUs with government centers and the private sectors related to the food industry are among the most important executive actions of this research institute in recent years.