Introduction

In the rapidly changing modern society, our dietary life calls for the corresponding changes. A variety of geriatric diseases pose challenging problems to the contemporary society, presenting a substantial economic burden not only to the individuals but also to the people at large. Cardiovascular risks, cancer, diabetes and other lifestyle dependent diseases are closely tied with what we eat and how our dietary life is managed. Accordingly, the Department of Food and Nutrition curriculum is designed to cultivate the professionally superior nutritionists through educational approaches based on the recent research findings on food and nutrition and their dietary and functional implications in promoting the health of the people. The science of food and nutrition attempts to investigate the link between the food we consume and the health risks associated with dietary life. The majors program is implemented through two tracks, the food science that studies the functional aspects of food and the nutrition science that investigates the effects of food on metabolic processes. The majors curricula are designed for the students to acquire the fundamental knowledge about food through relevant laboratory experiments. To understand the basic principles of nutrition, the majors undertake studies to elucidate the relationship between the nutrition and the health risks in terms of both animal trials and clinical testing. Major courses offered in the food and nutrition programs include food chemistry, nutrition science, dietary therapy, nutritional assessment, biochemistry, cooking, dietary life management, special and diathetic nutrition, group catering service, food processing, food functionality, food storage, and food microbiology all of which come with laboratory experiments.

Aims

The majors curricula aim at nurturing the well-educated nutrition experts who are able to contribute to the dietary livelihood of the regional society and the people’s nutritional well-being through scientific research and laboratory training in developing the dietary principles and practices to prevent chronic anaplastic diseases and enhance the quality of life in general.

Careers

Societal demands for the qualified food and nutritionists are steadily increasing as our living standards get upgraded, calling for the improved dietary life and the prevention of diseases and health risks. Our food and nutrition majors are able to find their professional careers with/as a variety of meal service organizations, community and rural area nutrition consults, and farm and fishing village nutrition leaders. They may also opt for further study at graduate schools here at home or abroad. Graduates of the majors program choosing to teach as nutrition instructors earn the 2nd degree certificates of nutrition education, work for food industry in product research and development, or are employed for food safety and sanitary agencies and programs (for example, HACCP).

History

1987: Established the Department of Food and Nutrition

1993: Offered M.S. degree program, Graduate College

2003: Instituted Ph.D. degree program, Graduate College

2005 Established the Nutrition Education Majors, Graduate School of Education

2012: Earned designation as Clinical Nutrition Education Certifying Agency