The discipline of Food Science and Engineering is “a peak construction” and “a key characteristic” discipline in Fujian Province (the only one in Fujian). In both the rankings for World Class Disciplines in Soft Science and the “U.S. News World University Disciplines”, the food science and engineering discipline is ranked within the top 40 globally, with the highest contribution ratio to the top 1 ‰ of ESI global rankings in the field of agriculture in FAFU.
The discipline originated from the Food Processing major of Fujian Agricultural College in 1958. In 2007, it was approved as a postdoctoral research station in Food Science and Engineering (the only one in Fujian Province). In 2011, it was approved as a first level doctoral program in Food Science and Engineering (the earliest in Fujian Province). It has formed a complete talent training system of Bachelor's - Master's - Doctoral - Postdoctoral for the food discipline.
At present, the discipline has formed the following characteristic development areas. (1) Precision nutrition and health engineering of Fujian Taiwan characteristic food; (2) Green processing and high-quality utilization of Fujian Taiwan characteristic food; (3) Green preservation and logistics engineering of subtropical characteristic agricultural products; (4) Efficient extraction and biosynthesis of active substances in subtropical characteristic agricultural products.
There are currently 60 full-time teachers in the discipline, including 19 professors, 25 associate professors, and 16 lecturers. Among them, there is one member of the Teaching Guidance Committee for Food Science and Engineering in Higher Education Institutions under the Ministry of Education, one member of the Teaching Guidance Committee for National Agricultural Professional Degree Graduate Students, one member of the Education Guidance Committee for National Food and Nutrition Professional Degree Graduate Students, one national level candidate for the “New Century Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Project”, one leading talent in scientific and technological innovation under the National Ten Thousand Talents Plan, one young and middle-aged leading talent in the scientific and technological innovation under the Ministry of Science and Technology, one young Changjiang Scholar under the Ministry of Education, two young talents under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs' Shennong program, two candidates for the China Youth Science and Technology Award, and three experts receiving special allowances from the State Council.
The discipline has 2 national level platforms and 9 provincial and ministerial level scientific and technological innovation platforms, as well as the University Food Science and Engineering Experimental Teaching Center and the Food Science and Engineering Graduate Education Innovation Base of Fujian province.
In terms of social services, firstly, the college focuses on major national strategies and promotes high-quality integrated development in the food industry across the Taiwan Strait. A cross-strait communication platform and a long-term mechanism for high-quality integrated development of the cross-strait food industry have been established. Secondly, the college serves the major needs of the country in poverty alleviation and assist in poverty alleviation efforts in the eastern and western regions. Thirdly, relying on the Fujian Food Processing and Storage Engineering Society and the Fujian Food Additives and Ingredients Industry Association, the college creates an important practical platform for mass innovation and entrepreneurship. Fourth, by leveraging the advantages of location and disciplines, the college leads the development of disciplinary characteristics, enhances the level of cooperation and influence at home and abroad. Fifth, the college performs technical diagnosis on a regular basis, enhances the ability of disciplines to serve regional economy, and assists in the high-quality development of the food industry.
In addition, the college actively carries out external exchanges, cooperates with Taiwan Ocean University to develop the 3+1 undergraduate joint training, cooperates with the Eastern Research Center of the US Department of Agriculture to establish the Laboratory of Predictive Microbiology and Chemical Residue Analysis, and cooperates with the Food Research Center of the Irish Department of Agriculture to establish the China Ireland Center for Food Substance Science and Structural Design. The college also promotes the talent cultivation projects of the China Scholarship Council's China Ireland Food Science and Engineering Innovation Talent Joint Training Project and Comprehensive Talent Joint Training Project for Deep Development and Promotion of Agricultural Products in Central and Western Europe, and deepens cooperation with Wageningen University in the Netherlands and the Joint Agricultural Research Institute in Japan.
