香港理工大學

Programme Aims and Learning Outcomes

This programme aims to produce well-trained food technologists and food safety officers to meet the needs of and benefit the community.

The objective is to develop students into all-round preferred graduates whose intellectual abilities, professional knowledge and skills are on a par with the international standards for a Bachelor's degree in food-related subjects. The programme also emphasizes the enhancement of students' language abilities, social responsibilities, analytical power, critical thinking abilities, creativity, problem-solving skills, teamwork and global outlook. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the well-being of Hong Kong society, particularly to its economy, and to the assurance of food safety for the community.

Programme Characteristics

This programme is designed to meet the undergraduate degree standards of both the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST). It is an applied and practical programme. Balancing the development of core competency and broadness, the programme emphasizes the professional, intellectual and all-round abilities of students. It achieves this through a specially designed curriculum, modern learning/teaching methodologies, multiple assessment tools, workplace learning experience, a caring and supportive learning environment and extra-curricular activities. Moreover, our department has very experienced academic staff and modern equipment and instruments.

Upon successful completion of the programme, students should be ready to take up careers in the food industry or enter into postgraduate programmes. They can also utilize the skills and knowledge that they gain from the programme for personal career development as well as for the benefit of the community.

Curriculum

This is a full-time programme with a normal duration of four years. The nature of the programme is credit-based, and students are required to complete at least 122 credits.

Professional Recognition

This programme is accredited the undergraduate degree standards for both IFT and IUFoST. Graduates with 3 years of work experience in the food safety/technology area can apply for being the certified food scientists.

Career Prospects

Cases of food poisoning and food unsafe for human consumption have been making headlines recently, and the government has been urged to tighten the laws and regulations concerned. A Centre for Food Safety has been founded to ensure better control and the prevention of food hazards. Nutrition labelling has been mandatory for pre-packaged foods since 2010. The CEPA policy has also attracted many local manufacturers to invest in food production for export to the Chinese mainland. For these reasons, there is growing demand for food safety officers and food technologists in Hong Kong. Graduates of this programme should be able to find employment in the local food industry, commercial testing laboratories/centres, the government sector (including the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Government Laboratory and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department), catering companies, chain restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, food importers/exporters, education/research institutions, etc. Students with outstanding academic performance may also be admitted to postgraduate studies in local or overseas universities.