This study had the objective of identifying barriers in the technology transfer process between Embrapa Food Technology, a public research institute, and the Brazilian productive sector. A literature review was conducted in order to identify the main general problems related to the technology transfer process, which resulted in a number of restrictive factors. To achieve the central objective, the main actors involved in this process were heard: Embrapa’s researchers and technology transfer technicians (who generate the technology) and the owners of the companies (who receive the technology). The search for field information had a semi-structured procedure, which was based on the literature review. Through a qualitative method, the analysis of contents, the experiences and views of respondents were analyzed considering the following variables: (a) product or market orientation, at the moment of the technology generation, (b) intellectual property, (c) level of training of the professionals involved, (d) infrastructure for technology generation, (e) availability of financial resources, (f) organizational bureaucracy, (g) level of information at the companies and (h) risk perception. Based on the reports examined, there is evidence that among the main barriers for the technology transfer in this case could be mentioned: (a) Embrapa organizational bureaucracy, (b) lack of trained personnel in the companies, (c) funding sources buraucracy, (d) product-oriented technology, (e) lack of complementary expertise for the commercialization of technologies, (f) low interaction between Embrapa and the market, (g) lack of local structure to manage the commercialization of patents and (h) insufficient training for technological innovation. Suggestions for the improvement of the technology transfer process within Embrapa Food Technology are presented at the end of the work.