In 1995, the Department of Food Science of the former Beijing Agricultural University and the Department of Food Engineering of the former Beijing Agricultural Engineering University were merged becoming the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of the China Agricultural University. Prior to July 2002, this College consisted of two separate parts located in two campuses. In July 2002, that part in the western campus was moved to the eastern campus and so physically the merger and was completed The College was officially renamed the “College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering” as it is also know today.
The College includes four departments:
Department of Food Science and Engineering,
Department of Food Biotechnology,
Department of Nutrition and Food Safety,
Department of Viticulture and Enology,
It also has six research centers:
National Engineering Research Center of Fruit and Vegetable Processing,
Supervision and Testing Center for Quality of Agricultural Produce, Ministry of Agriculture,
Inspection and Testing Center for the Safety of Genetically Modified Foods, Ministry of Agriculture,
Functional Dairy Products Key Laboratory, Ministry of Education,
Viticulture and Enology Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture,
Sino-Japan Agricultural Products Processing Research Center.
The 14,000 square meter College building, not only houses the faculty offices, the professors’ and open laboratories, but also features a 500 seat auditorium , several multimedia meeting rooms, a reference library, a computer lab and a number of other well-appointed facilities.
The College currently has a total of 106 faculty, of whom 87 are teaching staff, including 35 professors and 47 associate professors. Of the teaching staff 63 (72%) hold doctoral degrees from leading universities in China, the US, the UK, France, Japan, Israel and the Netherlands.
At present under the Chinese university system of grading and terminology, the College is authorized to offer a Doctoral Degree of First-grade in Food Science and Engineering, 6 Doctoral Degrees of Second-grade Discipline, and 7 Masters Degrees. Our Food Science and Engineering degree is ranked first in the Chinese Integrated Evaluation of National First-grade Disciplines.
The Agricultural Products Storage and Processing Engineering section was awarded the National Key Discipline and Ministry of Agriculture Key Discipline while Food Science was awarded the Beijing Municipal Key Discipline.
The College has an internally funded postdoctoral position and a four business funded postdoctoral positions.
Additionally the College is home to a number of professional associations, including:
Association for Deans of Colleges of Food Science in China,
Agricultural Product Storage and Processing Branch of the China Agricultural Society, Agricultural Product Storage and Processing Branch of the China Agricultural Engineering Society,
Postharvest Science and Technology of Horticultural Products Branch of the China Horticultural Society, and
Grape and Wine Research Branch of the China Horticultural Society.
The College has established an integrated education system for undergraduate education, and graduate education, focusing on:
Processing theory and technology applicable to livestock and aquatic products, fruits, vegetables, cereals, oils and other foodstuffs;
Food processing techniques and equipment;
Development of functional and new food resources;
Food supply-chain theory and industrial development strategies.
This integrated approach is also taken with:
The theoretical study, inspection technology, and safety evaluation of genetically modified foods;
Food microbiology, fermentation engineering and bio-reactor technology.
It is also applied to:
Viticulture and enology;
The theory and technology of fruit and vegetable postharvest physiology, molecular biology, and
The storage, transportation and preservation of fruits and vegetables, which incorporates food chemistry, food nutrition, food safety and quality control.
Our mission and goal is to provide strong multidisciplinary learning thereby providing industry with outstanding graduates equipped with advanced theories and practical skills, based upon meeting the real needs of our Nation’s food industry.
The College offers Master-Doctor, Master and Doctor of Engineering degrees in:
Food Science,
Cereals, Oils and Plant Protein Engineering,
Agricultural Products Processing and Storage Engineering,
Food Biotechnology,
Nutrition and Food Safety,
It also offers:
A Doctoral degree in Aquatic Products Process Engineering,
A Master of Medicine degree in Nutrition and Food Hygiene,
Bachelor degrees in Food Science and Engineering,
Bioengineering (Food Biotechnology, Viticulture and Enology),
Food Quality and Safety.
The current total enrollment stands at about 800 undergraduates and about 600 graduates including 160 Doctoral candidates. In addition, there are 150 graduates in professional degrees (engineering and agricultural extension) in the College.
The College undertakes research projects sponsored by the National Eleventh Five Year Science and Technology Plan, National “863” Project, Ministry of Agriculture “948” Program, National “973” Program, National Outstanding Youth Fund, and the Ministry of Education Trans-century Elitist Cultivation Project. These are funded by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture. Also there are projects funded by local and international corporations.
Our College has established excellent relationships and has extensive cooperation with many well-known corporations and academies, such as China National Cereals, Oils, Foodstuffs Import, Export Corporation (COFCO), Huiyuan Group, Jin-Mai-Lang Food Corporation, Apple Corporation, Yurun Group, Mengniu Group, Yili Group; Mars, Kraft, Unilever, Nestle, and Cargill.
Academically we have cooperative associations with, Purdue University, University of California at Davis, University of Illinois, Japan Food Integrated Studies Institution, Wageningen University of The Netherlands and the Eastern Institute of Technology of New Zealand.