Historical Background The Department of Food Science and Engineering originated from the direction of food science and engineering established in 2000 by the Department of Forest Cultivation (DFC) in the former College of Forest Resources and Environment (CFRE), Nanjing Forestry University. From 2000 to 2005, the department enrolled undergraduate students in forestry (targeted Food Science and Engineering Orientation); after 2006, it enrolls undergraduate students majoring in Food Science and Engineering. In June 2014, upon to the discipline and specialty adjustment plan, the students and teachers of food science and engineering majors were reorganized from the former CFRE to the College of Light Industry Science and Engineering (renamed the College of Light Industry and Food Engineering in July 2017) and established the Department of Food Science and Engineering. 

Disciplinary Platform The Department of Food Science and Engineering covers bachelor and master degrees (first-level discipline) in the Food Science and Engineering, master and doctoral degrees (second-level discipline) in the Fermentation Engineering; master degree programs in "Biology and Medicine" as well. Now it opens to recruit Ph.D and master students in fermentation engineering, food science, etc. The Department of Food Science and Engineering currently has the laboratories of Food Chemistry and Analysis, Functional Food, Fermentation Engineering, Food Engineering, Food Nutrition, Food Safety, and Food Processing Technology, which equipped with High performance liquid chromatography, Gas chromatography, Electronic nose, Microplate reader, Texture analyzer instruments and other a large-scale scientific facility.

Faculty The Department of Food Science and Engineering currently has 25 faculty members, including 2 professors/doctoral supervisors, 17 associate professors/master supervisors, and other talents (1 Six Talent Peaks Project and 1 "333 project" in Jiangsu province, respectively). There are 12 teachers with overseas study backgrounds. Full-time teachers focus on the four types of research fields, which are the processing and storage of forest-based products, food nutrition, food safety, and food biotechnology, respectively. In the past 3 years, we have hosted or participated in 20 national, provincial and ministerial projects, published more than 450 academic papers in important academic journals at home and abroad, obtained more than 30 patents, edited (chief or board) 14 textbooks. The achievements won 7 provincial and ministerial awards, of which 1 scientific research achievement won the second prize of Outstanding Scientific Research Award (science and technology) in colleges and universities, and 2 scientific research achievements won the first prize of China Light Industry Association Scientific and Technological Progress Award, 1 second prize and 1 third prize of the Ling Xi Forestry Science and Technology Award, 1 first prize of the National Commercial Science and Technology Progress Award, 1 first prize of the Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Award, and 1 first prize of Science and Technology Progress Award of the Education Department of Jiangsu Province, respectively. The teaching achievement won 1 second prize of Jiangsu provincial teaching achievement.