Food Science and Engineering Program Achieves IFT International Accreditation

December 5 – The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has formally notified our university that its Food Science and Engineering undergraduate program has successfully passed the review by the IFT Higher Education Accreditation Commission. The program has been granted full accreditation for a five-year term, spanning from 2026 to 2031.

Since its desination in September 2022 as one of the university's first programs to pursue professional accreditation, the School of Life and Environmental Sciences has meticulously organized and planned the accreditation process for the Food Science and Engineering program. With strong support from the university and under the guidance of the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, the Academic Affairs Office, and the Development and Social Services Office, the Food Science and Engineering Teaching and Research Unit has worked collaboratively. Focusing on the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education and guided by the IFT International Engineering Education Accreditation standards, the program has steadily advanced all required tasks.

Throughout the accreditation process, the School of Life and Environmental Sciences conducted three online thematic exchanges to learn from the experiences of already-accredited institutions. It also organized core faculty members for field visits to universities such as Jiangsu University, Hefei University of Technology, and Chuzhou University to gain in-depth understanding of key accreditation requirements. Additionally, seven specialized coordination meetings were held to continuously advance systematic work including faculty development and teaching condition improvements, optimization of the talent cultivation plan, construction of curriculum mapping and competency matrices, as well as collection of supporting materials and preparation of the self-study report. These efforts have consistently strengthened the program's substance and comprehensively enhanced the adaptability, effectiveness, and international competitiveness of talent cultivation in food science and engineering.

This successful IFT international accreditation marks the recognition of our university's Food Science and Engineering undergraduate education quality by an authoritative international organization and represents a significant breakthrough for our university in the field of international engineering education accreditation. Looking ahead, the School of Life and Environmental Sciences will use the IFT accreditation as a new starting point to continuously deepen the program's substantive development, strengthen its engineering education characteristics, and consistently improve teaching quality and talent cultivation outcomes, thereby contributing to the high-quality development of the university.

Background: Founded in 1939 and headquartered in Chicago, USA, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is one of the most influential academic organizations in the global food science and technology field. Its accreditation system is widely recognized as an authoritative standard for the quality of food science education worldwide. Currently, prestigious universities globally, including Cornell University, Purdue University, University of California, Davis, as well as domestic institutions such as China Agricultural University, Jiangnan University, and Zhejiang University, have obtained this accreditation for their food science programs.