Introduction of College of Food Science and Technology

History. The College of Food Science and Technology was established in May 2001 basing on the Division of Food Science and Department of Bee Science, although courses covering aspects of food science and engineering had been offered in the College of Animal Science and Technology’s Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine since early 1980s. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine started specialty program in food science and engineering in 1987, undergraduate program in 1989, and the Division of Food Science was founded in 1995. After decades of development, the College of Food Science and Technology is currently divided into 5 Departments:

·         Department of Food Science and Engineering

·         Department of Food Quality and Safety

·         Department of Bee Science

·         Department of Grain Engineering

·         Department of Viticulture and Enology

College members. At present, there are 57 full-time college members and 11 adjunct teachers. Among the teaching staff, 14 are professors, and 13 associate professors. Twenty-five of them have doctoral degree, and 16 have master degree. Of whom, three are doctoral supervisors, and 19 master supervisors. One of academic staff owns the specialist title of “National Modern Bee Industry Technology System”, one honored as “National Model of Teacher’s Ethic”, one titled as “Special Technician Talent with Outstanding Contribution to Yunnan Province”, one is the “Young and Middle-Aged Pioneer of Academy and Technology in Yunnan Province”, one honored as “Talented Pioneer of Yunling Industry Technology”, one listed as potential trainee of “Young and Middle-Aged Pioneer of Academy and Technology in Yunnan Province”, one is the Reserved Talent of “Young and Middle-Aged Pioneer of Academy and Technology in Kunming”. Additionally one “Yangtze River Scholar” has been flexibly introduced into the college, and the Baoguo Sun Academician Workstation has been set up.

Talent Cultivation. At present, the college is entitled to confer doctoral degree in Food Resource and Nutrition Engineering; four master degrees in Food Science, Agricultural Product Processing and Storage Engineering, Functional Food, and Immunology of Nutrition Metabolism, one engineering master degree in Food Engineering, and one agricultural extension master degree in Food Processing and Safety; and five bachelor degrees in Food Science and Engineering, Food Quality and Safety, Bee Science, Grain Engineering, and Viticulture and Enology.

There are 947 students currently enrolled in the college, including 826 undergraduates and 121 postgraduates. The college has many outstanding achievements in the “Challenge Cup” National College Student Extracurricular Science and Technology Works, winning national bronze award twice. Moreover, the college has obtained gold group award five times, silver group award once and bronze group award once at university level. One project has been given first prize, 2 projects second prize, and 3 projects third prize in “Hongta Cup” Yunnan College Student Business Plan Competition. Additionally, one gold medal, and 2 bronze medals have been given in the Yunnan College Youth Academic and Technology Fair. Moreover, one project was awarded with national bronze medal in the 2015 China “Internet Plus” College Student Business Plan Competition, and 1 provincial gold medal, 2 provincial excellent prizes in 2015 Yunnan “Internet Plus” College Student Business Plan Competition. One project was awarded gold medal, 2 were silver medals in the “Yunnan College Student Entrepreneurship Competition in 2016”.

Disciplinary development. The college focuses on food processing and safety, and key technology of characteristic food resources in Yunnan province, such as Yunnan tea, Yunnan edible flower, Yunnan ham, Yunnan milk, Yunnan fruit, Yunnan coffee, and Moringa oleifera, etc. So far three key disciplines have been developed at province or university level. These are: animal food science - provincial key discipline, food science and engineering - provincial dominant and special key construction discipline, agricultural product processing and storage engineering - key discipline at university level.

At present, the college possesses Ministerial Key Laboratory of Pu-erh tea supported by the Ministry of Education; 1 provincial key laboratory: Food Processing and Safety Key Laboratory; 4 provincial engineering centers, these are the Engineering Center of Bee Resource Sustainable Utilization, Engineering Research Center of Yunnan Livestock Product Processing, the Engineering Technology Research Center of Agricultural Product Processing, and the Engineering Technology Research Center of Tea Product Processing. Additionally, there is one Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center, one Provincial Experimental Teaching Center, one Provincial Joint Training Base of Postgraduate Education, one provincial innovation team “Yunnan Agricultural University Tea Component and Tea Function”, and Yunnan Food Safety Management Institute.

Scientific Research. The college has developed three research teams, namely “Yunnan Ethnic Food Processing and Safety Control ”, “Bioactive Compound (Polyphenols) Excavation and Utilization from Yunnan Plateau Characteristic Food”, and “Yunnan Characteristic Food Resource Development and Utilization”. During the period of “12th Five-Year Plan”, the college has undertaken more than 60 scientific research projects, including one Comprehensive Reform of the State Council project, one state “863” project, one “11th Five-Year Plan” National Science and Technology Support project, one FAO project, 16 National Natural Science Fund projects, and 64 provincial projects. The total research funding is around 90 million. Members of the college have published more than 150 scientific papers, among which more than 50 papers were included by SCI/EI journals. Moreover, 13 academic monographs and textbooks have been published, 25 invention patents have been applied, of which 17 have been authorized. Two projects have been conferred third prize of Yunnan Provincial Technical Invention Award, three given third prize of Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Advancement Award, and one conferred third prize of Yunnan Provincial Natural Science Award. Significant achievements have been obtained thanks to cooperation of academy, research and industrialization. Several collaboration agreements have been signed with Mojiang county government, Shizong county government, and several enterprises.

The College of Food Science and Technology is people oriented, developing with unique feature, strengthening itself with quality, serving the community as its ultimate goal. Based on the frontier region, the college’s mission is to cultivate proficient graduate and to offer scientific support for the food science and food industry development, serving Yunnan community, developing notable fame throughout the whole China, Southeast Asia and South Asia.