.

Ph. D, Professor, Doctoral Supervisor

Deputy Director of Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST)

Prof. Zhang Dequan, Ph.D. Supervisor, National Outstanding personality in agricultural science and technology research, China; Young and Middle-aged Leading Scientist of the Ministry of Science and Technology, China (MoST); Leading Researcher (Class B) of "Agricultural Science Talents" of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS); Chief Scientist of the Meat Processing Research of National Sheep Industrial Technology System; Director of Key Laboratory of Agro-Food Quality and Safety of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China (MARA); Deputy director of Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing Technology of MARA; Vice-chairman of Chinese Association of Animal Products Processing Science and Technology; Vice Secretary-General of National Animal Products Processing Standards Technical Committee; Vice-chairman of Agricultural Product Standardization Technical Committee of MARA; Vice-chairman of China Cold Chain Logistics Alliance.

Prof. Zhang Dequan devoted in meat science and technology research for decades, has achieved a breakthrough in the intelligent meat quality control technology and freshness preservation technology, green manufacturing technology of Chinese traditional meat products, high-value utilisation technology of co-products in animal slaughtering and meat processing, and sheep meat intensive processing. Responsible for over 30 national projects, published more than 170 high quality academic papers, published 5 academic books, authorized 58 National Invention patents, established 13 national standards, won 13 national and ministerial level awards, participated in drafting of 10 national and industrial planning, such as “Development Outline of National Food Industry 12th and 13th Five-Year Plan” and “Outline of the national medium and long term science and technology development program (2021-2035)”, etc. There were 82 students supervised by the chief scientist, Prof. Zhang, including post-doctoral students, doctoral students, master students and international students. Since 2013, the team performed the technical transformation in more than 30 enterprises with direct economic benefits of more than 16 billion RMB, and the technical transformation created more than 20 million RMB.

Education background

Ph.D. Major in Agro-Products Storage and Processing, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China, Sep. 1997-Jul. 2000

M.Sc. Major in Agro-Products Storage and Processing, Northwest A & F University, Shaanxi, China, Sep. 1994-Jul. 1997

B.Sc. Major in Agro-Products Processing and Storage, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Henan, China, Sep. 1990-Jul. 1994

Research interest

1. Fresh meat intelligent logistics and preservation technology. Cover the evaluation and digital characterization of fresh meat regarding to eating quality, processing quality, nutrition quality and safety quality, and the mechanism of meat fresh keeping. Prof. Zhang’s team also focuses on research and developing of novel packaging materials, online monitoring, intelligent storage and logistics technology, precise loss reducing and other key technologies and equipment. Development of new products, such as chilled meat, iced fresh meat, are ongoing. Efforts on fresh meat aim to achieve digitalization of fresh meat quality, identification of characteristics, non-destructive evaluation, online monitoring and intelligent logistics preservation.

2. Green processing technology of Chinese traditional meat products. Focuses on the mechanism of the mass transfer and heat transfer, characteristic quality formation and the growth and decline of hazards in Chinese traditional meat products, such as smoke-barbecue, air drying and marinating. The team created key techniques and equipment for green processing, such as smoke-free barbecue, water-free brine, and intelligent air-drying, etc. Moreover, the team also developed ready-to-eat, ready-to-heat, ready-to-cook, ready-to-prepared meat products (i.e. 4R meat products) and other convenient and fast new products in order to overcome common problems in meat industry, which are the low industrialization and the difficulty to maintain characteristic quality.

3. Precise manufacturing technology of nutritious meat products. Carrying out research on the evaluation of the nutrient ingredients and functional efficacy of special livestock and poultry meat. Further studies drive on developing key technologies for personalized meat products design, precise and high-quality processing in order to develop new meat products for special populations, special environments, and special medical applications (i.e. 3S meat products), as well as other nutritional, functional, high value-added new products to a variety of consumer’s needs.

Selected publication

1. Representative Books

(1) “Mutton Processing Quality”, China Light Industry Press, 2018

(2) “Mutton Processing and Quality Control”, China Light Industry Press, 2016

2. Representative Publications

(1) Yuqiang Bai, Xin Li, Dequan Zhang*, Li Chen, Chengli Hou, Xiaochun Zheng, Chi Ren. Effects of phosphorylation on the activity of glycogen phosphorylase in mutton during incubation at 4 °C in vitro. Food Chemistry, 2020, 313, 1-6.

(2) Raheel Suleman, Zhenyu Wang, Rana Muhammad Aadil, Teng Hui, David L Hopkins, Dequan Zhang*. Effect of cooking on the nutritive quality, sensory properties and safety of lamb meat: Current challenges and future prospects. Meat Science, 2020, 167, 1-12.

(3) Yuqiang Bai, Xin Li, Dequan Zhang*, Li Chen, Chengli Hou, Xiaochun Zheng, Chi Ren. Role of phosphorylation on characteristics of glycogen phosphorylase in lamb with different glycolytic rates post-mortem. Meat Science, 2020, 164, 1-8.

(4) Huan Liu, Zhenyu Wang, Dequan Zhang*, Qingwu Shen, Teng Hui, Jianrong Ma. Generation of Key Aroma Compounds in Beijing Roasted Duck Induced via Maillard Reaction and Lipid Pyrolysis Reaction. Food Research International, 2020.

(5) Yuqiang Bai, Xin Li, Dequan Zhang*, Chengli Hou, Xiaochun Zheng, Li Chen, Chi Ren. Effects of different ATP contents on phosphorylation level of glycogen phosphorylase and its activity in lamb during incubation at 4℃ in vitro. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2020.

(6) Huan Liu, Zhenyu Wang, Dequan Zhang*, Qingwu Shen, Teng Pan, Teng Hui, Jianrong Ma. Characterization of key aroma compounds in Beijing roasted duck by gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry, odor activity values and aroma recombination experiments. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2019, 67(20), 5847-5856.

(7) Li Chen, Yuqiang Bai, Nadia Everaert, Xin Li, Guangjing Tian, Chengli Hou, Dequan Zhang*. Effects of protein phosphorylation on glycolysis through the regulation of enzyme activity in ovine muscle. Food Chemistry. 2019, 293, 537-544.

(8) Li Chen, Zheng Li, Nadia Everaert, René Lametsch, Dequan Zhang*. Quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of ovine muscle with different postmortem glycolytic rates. Food Chemistry, 2019, 280, 203-209.

(9) Huan Liu, Zhenyu Wang, Raheel Suleman, Qingwu Shen, Dequan Zhang*. Effect of protein thermal stability and protein secondary structure on the roasted mutton texture and colour from different cuts. Meat Science. 2019, 156, 52-58.

(10) Chengli Hou, Wenting Wang, Xuan Song, Liguo Wu, Dequan Zhang*. Effects of Drying Methods and Ash Contents on Heat-Induced Gelation of Porcine Plasma Protein Powder. Foods. 2019, 8,140.

(11) Chengli Hou, Lingling Gao, Zhenyu Wang, Weili Rao, Manting Du, Dequan Zhang*. Mechanical properties, thermal stability, and solubility of sheep bone collagen-chitosan films. Journal of Food Process Engineering. 2019.

(12) Lichuang Cao, Chengli Hou, Qingwu Shen, Dequan Zhang*, Zhenyu Wang. Phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chain affects actomyosin dissociation and myosin degradation. International Journal of Food Science and Technology. 2019, 54(6), 2246-2255.

(13) Manting Du, Xin Li, Zheng Li, Qingwu Shen, Ying Wang, Guixia Li, Dequan Zhang*. Phosphorylation regulated by protein kinase A and alkaline phosphatase play positive roles in μ-calpain activity. Food Chemistry, 2018, 252:33-39.

(14) Guixia Li, Zheng Li, Xin Li, Ying Wang, Jie Zhu, Dequan Zhang*. Postmortem aging influences the thawed meat quality of frozen lamb lions. Food Chemistry, 2018.

(15) Manting Du, Xin Li, Zheng Li, Qingwu Shen, Chi Ren, Dequan Zhang*. Calpastatin inhibits the activity of phosphorylated μ-calpain in vitro. Food Chemistry, 2018, 274, 743-749.

(16) Manting Du, Xin Li, Zheng Li, Qingwu Shen, Ying Wang, Guixia Li, Dequan Zhang. Phosphorylation regulated by protein kinase A and alkaline phosphatase play positive roles in μ-calpain activity. Food Chemistry, 2018, 252:33-39.

(17) Meng Li, Zheng Li, Xin Li, Jianzeng Xin, Ying Wang, Guixia Li, Liguo Wu, Qingwu Shen, Dequan Zhang*. Comparative profiling of sarcoplasmic phosphoproteins in ovine muscle with different color stability. Food Chemistry, 2018, 240, 104-111.

(18) Zheng Li, Meng Li, Xin Li, Jianzeng Xin, Ying Wang, Qingwu Shen, Dequan Zhang*. Quantitative Phosphoproteomic Analysis among Muscles of Different Color Stability using Tandem Mass Tag Labeling. Food Chemistry, 2018, 249, 8-15.

(19) Zheng Li, Meng Li, Manting Du, Qingwu W. Shen, Dequan Zhang*. Dephosphorylation enhances postmortem degradation of myofibrillar proteins. Food Chemistry, 2018, 245, 233-239.

(20) Chengli Hou, Ning Kang, CéliaSChloSSer, Mengya Zhao, Zhenyu Wang, Dequan Zhang*. Heterocyclic aromatic amines in commercial Chinese dried meat products. Journal of Food and Nutrition Research, 2018, 57(2), 151-160.

(21) Xin Li, Anqi Xia, Lijuan Chen, Manting Du, Li Chen, Ning Kang, Dequan Zhang*. Effects of lairage after transport on post mortem muscle glycolysis, protein phosphorylation and lamb meat quality. Journal of integrative agriculture, 2018, 17(10), 2336-2344.

(22) Li Chen, Zheng Li, Xin Li, Jing Chen, Nadia Everaert, Dequan Zhang*. The effect of sarcoplasmic protein phosphorylation on glycolysis in postmortem ovine muscle. International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 2018, 53(12), 2714-2722.

(23) Lingling Gao, Zhenyu Wang, Zheng Li, Caixia Zhang, Dequan Zhang*. The characterization of acid and pepsin soluble collagen from ovine bones (Ujumuqin sheep). Journal of Integrative Agriculture 2018, 17(3), 704-711.

(24) Jianzeng Xin, Zheng Li, Xin Li, Meng Li, Guixia Li, Weili Rao, Dequan Zhang*. Meat Color Stability of Ovine Muscles Is Related to Glycolytic Dehydrogenase Activities. Journal of Food Science, 2018, 83(10):2432-2438.

(25) Weili Rao, Zhenyu Wang, Qingwu Shen, Guixia Li, Xuan Song, Dequan Zhang*. LF-NMR to Explore Water Migration and Water-Protein Interaction of Lamb Meat Being Air Dried at 35°C. Drying Technology, 2018, 36, 366-373.

(26) Ying Wang, Xin Li, Zheng Li, Meng Li, Jie Zhu, Dequan Zhang*. Changes in degradation and phosphorylation level of titin in three ovine muscles during postmortem. International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 2018, 53, 913-920.

(27) Manting Du, Xin Li, Zheng Li, Meng Li, Lingling Gao, Dequan Zhang*. Phosphorylation inhibits the activity of μ-calpain at different incubation temperatures and Ca2+, concentrations in vitro. Food Chemistry, 2017, 228:649-655.

(28) Meng Li, Xin Li, Jianzeng Xin, Zheng Li, Guixia Li, Yan Zhang, Manting Du, Qingwu Shen,Dequan Zhang*. Effects of protein phosphorylation on color stability of ground meat. Food Chemistry, 2017, 219:304-310.

(29) Zheng Li, Xin Li, Xing Gao, Qingwu Shen, Manting Du, Dequan Zhang*. Phosphorylation prevents in vitro myofibrillar proteins degradation by μ-calpain. Food Chemistry, 2017, 218:455-462.

(30) Zhenyu Wang, Caixia Zhang, Zheng Li, Qingwu Shen, Dequan Zhang*. Comparative analysis of muscle phosphoproteome induced by salt curing. Meat Science, 2017, 133, 19-25.

(31) Xin Li, Yan Zhang, Zheng Li, Meng Li, Yongfeng Liu, Dequan Zhang*. The effect of temperature in the range of -0.8 to 4 ℃ on lamb meat color stability. Meat Science, 2017, 134:28-33.

(32) Chengli Hou, Zhenyu Wang, Liguo Wu, Jiali Chai, Xuan Song, Wenting Wang, Dequan Zhang*. Effects of breeds on the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines in smoked lamb. International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 2017, 52, 2661-2669.

(33) Dadji Stéphane Serge Bonny, Xin Li*, Zheng Li, Meng Li, Manting Du, Lingling Gao, Dequan Zhang*. Colour Stability and Lipid Oxidation of Beef Longissimus Lumborum under Different Packaging Conditions. Polish Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences, 2017, 67(4):275-281.

(34) Xin Li, Lijuan Chen, Fan He, Meng Li, Qingwu Shen, Dequan Zhang*. A comparative analysis of phosphoproteome in ovine muscle at early postmortem in relationship to tenderness. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2017, 97, 4571-4579.

(35) Manting Du, Xin Li, Zheng Li, Qingwu Shen, Ying Wang, Guixia Li, Dequan Zhang*. Effects of phosphorylation on μ-calpain activity at different incubation temperature. Food Research International, 2017, 318–324.

(36) Weili Rao, Xin Li, Zhenyu Wang, Yang Yang, Yalin Qu, Yuan Gao, Li Chen, Dequan Zhang*. Dense Phase Carbon Dioxide Combined with Mild Heating Induced Myosin Denaturation, Texture Improvement and Gel Properties of Sausage. Journal of Food Process Engineering, 2017.

(37) Xing Gao, Xin Li, Zheng Li, Manting Du, Dequan Zhang*. Dephosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chain modulates actin-myosin interaction adverse to meat tenderness. International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 2017, 52(6):1400-1407.

(38) Qingwu Shen, Darl R Swartz, Zhenyu Wang, Yue Liu, Yuan Gao, Dequan Zhang*. Different actions of salt and pyrophosphate on protein extraction from myofibrils reveal the mechanism controlling myosin dissociation. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2017, 97(5):1672-1672.

(39) Jianzeng Xin, Zheng Li, Xin Li, Meng Li, Ying Wang, Fumin Yang, Dequan Zhang. The effect of dehydrogenase enzymes activity in glycolysis on the color stability of mutton during postmortem. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2017, 16(11):2646-2654.

(40) Zhongwen Li, Xin Li, Zhenyu Wang, Qingwu Shen, Dequan Zhang*. Antemortem stress regulates protein acetylation and glycolysis in postmortem muscle. Food Chemistry, 2016, 202:94-98.

(41) Zhenyu Wang, Weiwei Xu, Ning Kang, Qingwu Shen, Dequan Zhang*. Microstructural, protein denaturation and water holding properties of lamb under pulse vacuum brining. Meat Science, 2016, 113:132-138.

(42) Lijuan Chen, Xin Li, Na Ni, Yue Liu, Li Chen, Zhenyu Wang, Qingwu W Shen, Dequan Zhang*. Phosphorylation of myofibrillar proteins in post-mortem ovine muscle with different tenderness. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2016, 96(5):1474-1483.

(43) Zhenyu Wang, Fan He, Weili Rao, Na Ni, Qingwu Shen, Dequan Zhang*. Proteomic analysis of goat Longissimus dorsi muscles with different drip loss values related to meat quality traits. Food Science and Biotechnology, 2016, 25(2):425-431.

(44) Yue Liu, Manting Du, Xin Li, Li Chen, Qingwu Shen, Jianwen Tian, Dequan Zhang*. Role of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway on proteolytic activity in postmortem proteolysis and tenderization of sheep skeletal muscle. International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 2016, 1-7.

(45) Caixia Zhang, Zhenyu Wang, Zheng Li, Qingwu Shen, Lijuan Chen, Lingling Gao, Dequan Zhang*. Phosphoproteomic profiling of myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins of muscle in response to salting. Food Science and Biotechnology, 2016, 25(4):993-1001.

(46) Zheng Li, Xin Li, Xing Gao, Manting Du, Dequan Zhang*. Effect of inhibition of μ-calpain on the myofibril structure and myofibrillar protein degradation in postmortem ovine muscle. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2016, 97(7):2122.

3. Representative Authorized Patents/Software Copyrights

(1) A thawing method for carcasses of livestock and poultry (BE2017/5932)

(2) A method for predicting moisture content and drying rate of hot-dried meat during air-drying (ZL2017106968664)

(3) A method for determining phosphorylation level of myofibrillar protein serine to avoid signal interference (ZL2017105567337)

(4) A method of prolonging meat color stability under controlled freezing point storage (ZL2017102666190)

(5) A computer vision aided segmentation system for mutton carcass and its device (ZL2016108473568)

(6) A method for regulating phosphorylation level of muscle protein (ZL2016100991179)

(7) A method for determining calpain phosphorylation level (ZL2015109194238)

(8) A frozen meat nine-grid intelligent thawing cabinet (ZL2015103033976)

(9) An intelligent defrosting storage room for frozen meat (ZL2015103033980)

(10) An air-dried meat artificial simulated climate air drying equipment (ZL2015100811716)

(11) A type of control technology for mutton maturing (ZL2015100812117)

(12) Processing method of mutton sashimi (ZL2014108382856)

(13) A method for air-dried meat gradient variable temperature processing (ZL 201410509345X)

(14) A thawing method of livestock carcass (ZL 2014105103907)

(15) A method for improving hardness of lamb salt-soluble protein thermal gel (ZL 201410437737X)

(16) A technique suitable for ruminant skeletal muscle protein preparation and two-dimensional electrophoresis (ZL 2014103365835)

(17) A method for making sheep intestines (ZL 2014102347562)

(18) A method to reduce norharman and harman in marinated meat (ZL 2014101260453)

(19) A method for processing two-color sheep blood tofu (ZL 2013107407033)

(20) A method for processing mutton blood tofu (ZL 2013107400015)

(21) A method for improving texture characteristics of emulsified sausage by ultrahigh pressure (ZL 2013107288104)

(22) A texture forming method of air-dried beef and lamb jerky (ZL2013107224691)

(23) A movable multi-energy air-dried beef and mutton processing device (ZL 2013106570199)

(24) A method for preparing lamb-flavored lamb flavor seasoning (ZL 2013105499350)

(25) An assemblable roasting device (ZL 2018218272517)

(26) A smokeless carbon oven (ZL 2018212386340)

(27) A multifunctional assemblable cart for meat processing workshop (ZL 2018204741406)

(28) A tunnel type continuous superheated steam roasting device (ZL2017210748978)

(29) An automatic mutton hoof cleaning device (ZL 2017210434468)

(30) An animal fat cleaning device (ZL 2017209881225)

(31) A Portable NIR device for meat quality analysis (ZL2017203916521)

(32) A meat cleaning and thawing device (ZL 2017203412267)

(33) An interlayer honeycomb airflow circulation ice temperature device (ZL 2017200472247)

(34) A co-production device for plasma protein and hemoglobin (ZL2016214080627)

(35) Mutton carcass standardized segmentation software (2016SR187854)

(36) Mutton grading system based on near infrared spectroscopy (2015SR197388)

(37) Intelligent control system of controlled freezing point storage room (2015SR197377)

(38) Automatic control system of air drying room with artificial simulated climate (2015SR197337)

(39) Intelligent control system of thermal reaction of bone seasoning (2015SR198403)

(40) Marbling calculation system of beef and mutton (2015SR124443)

4. Standards

(1) NY/T 3224-2018 Terms for slaughter of livestock and poultry, Drafters: Dequan Zhang, Xin Li, Zhenyu Wang, etc.

(2) NY/T 3471-2019 Technical specification for animal blood collection, Drafters: Dequan Zhang, Chengli Hou, Shouwei Wang, etc.

(3) NY/T xxxx-2019 Technical specification for thawing frozen meat, Drafters: Dequan Zhang, Xin Li, Xiaoling Qiao, etc.

(4) NY/T xxxx-2019 Edible blood powder, Drafters: Dequan Zhang, Chengli Hou, Chunbao Li, etc.

(5) NY/T xxxx-2019 Technical specification for meat segmentation of livestock and poultry-mutton, Drafters: Dequan Zhang, Li Chen, Xiaochun Zheng, etc.

(6) NY/T xxxx-2019 Determination of volatile flavor compounds in meat and meat products, Drafters: Dequan Zhang, Zhenyu Wang, etc.

(7) NY/T xxxx-2019 Detection of heterocyclic amines in meat and meat products by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, Drafters: Dequan Zhang, etc.

(8) NY/Txxxx-2020 Determination of volatile flavor substances in meat and meat products by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, Drafters: Dequan Zhang, etc.

5. Representative Research Projects

(1) “13th Five-Year” Research Plan “Green Manufacturing key Technology and Equipment Demonstration of Smoking Barbecue Meat Product, 2016YFD0401505, 2016-2020

(2) National key R&D plan “Research and development of technical equipment for cattle and mutton slaughtering and livestock and poultry segmentation”, 2018YFD0700800, 2018-2020

(3) National key R&D plan “development of key technology and equipment for national characteristic industrial food processing”, 2018YFD0400100, 2018-2020

(4) National key R&D plan, key projects of international scientific and technological innovation cooperation between governments “Research and application of mutton quality identification and maintenance technology”, 2018YFE0105700, 2019-2022

(5) Meat Science and Technology Innovation Team, National Agricultural Technology Innovation Plan “The Formation Mechanism and Processing Technology of Meat Quality” (CAAS-ASTIP-2016-IFST), 2013-current

(6) National modern mutton industry technology system project “Mutton processing and food safety”, CARS-38-07B, 2016-2020

(7) National Program-Agro-Scientific Research in the Public Interest “The Technology, Equipment and Demonstration of Decrease Losses and Carcass Grading of Livestock and Poultry During Postmortem (201303083)”, 2013-2017

(8) Special Science and Technology Cooperation Projects of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan “Cooperative Platform for Industrialization of Traditional Chinese Meat Products and the Control of Hazards During Meat Processing (2014DFT30250)”, 2014-2017

(9) Commonweal Industry (Agriculture) Special Research Project for Public “Research and demonstration on key technology and equipment of traditional marinated meat product production”, 201303082, 2013-2017

(10) National Program-Agro-Scientific Research in the Public Interest “Innovation of Processing techniques and Quality Standard Establishment on Tibetan Sheep Processed Meat Products”, (201203009), 2012-2016

(11) National Science and Technology Support Program “Evaluation of Mutton Processing Characteristics and Special Breeds Selection”, (2012BAD29B03-05), 2012-2015

(12) Agro Science and Technology Achievements Transformation Project “Key Technology of Processing and Conversion for Chilled Mutton (2012GB23260559)”, 2012-2015

(13) "948" plan project “Introduction of near infrared intelligent grading technology for meat quality”, 2010-S1, 2010-2010

(14) National Program-Agro-Scientific Research in the Public Interest “Mutton Processing Characteristics and Quality Evaluation Technology”, 200903043, 2009-2013

(15) 11th Five-Year National Science and Technology Support Program “Seasoned Meat Comprehensive Storage Technology”, 2007BAD70B01, 2007-2010

(16) Major R&D Project of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region “Integration and Application of Engineering Key Technology Research to High Quality Mutton in Bayan Nur”, 2014-201

(17) Major science and technology projects of Tibet “Key technology and product development of yak meat deep processing”, 2016-2017

(18) Major science and technology projects of Tibet “Study on processing technology and product development of Tibetan mutton meat”, 2016-2017

 

Address: No 2, Yuanmingyuan West Rd., Beijing, P.R. China

Tel: +86-10-62815984

Tel: +86-10-62818740

Email: zhangdequan@caas.cn/dqzhang0118@126.com