Authorized by the State Council, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST)-CAAS was founded in December, 2003. Through 20 years’ development, the institute has built a solid foundation in the aspects of academic disciplines, research platforms, research teams, scientific projects, and international cooperation, etc. IFST also has made a number of scientific achievements on agro-products processing industrial development. The institute has started to step into a new stage of fast development and comprehensively construction of a world-class institute.

As the only national research institute on the agro-products processing area, IFST takes the responsibility of solving the fundamental, directional and overall major scientific and technological issues, undertaking the tasks of basic and applied basic research, high-tech development, key technology research and major products creation et al. IFST focused on four disciplines: processing and storage, quality and safety, nutrition and health, intelligent manufacturing. Carrying out scientific and technological innovation, commercialization of agricultural products, policy research, personnel training and international cooperation in the area of agro-products processing, leading the development of science and technology in this field, and providing strong support for industrial poverty alleviation and industrial revitalization.

In 2013, IFST competed to be the first 11 institutes to carry on the National Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program. At present, the institute has 9 innovation teams, which are Cereal Processing and Quality Control, Plant protein structure and function regulation, Meat Processing and Nutrition, Fruit and Vegetable Processing and Quality Control, Root and Tuber Crops Processing and Comprehensive Utilization, Chinese Food Processing and Equipment, Food Nutrition and Functional Component Utilization, Applied Enzymology, as well as Mycotoxin Prevention and Control in Agro-Products.

IFST has 3 doctoral programs on Agro-Products Processing and Utilization, Agro-Products Quality and Food Safety, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; 8 master programs on Agro-Products Processing and Preservation, Food Science, Cereal oils and Plant Protein Engineering, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Agricultural Management, Agricultural Economy Management, Biology and Medicine, as well as Food Processing and Safety; and 3 post-doctoral research station on Agro-Products Processing and Utilization, Agro-Products Quality and Food Safety, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

IFST has cutting edge research infrastructure, including National Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing, MARA; National Pilot Plant on Agro-Products Processing, MARA; National Risk Assessment Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing Quality and Safety (Beijing), MARA; Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Quality and Safety in Harvest, Storage, Transportation, Management and Control, MARA, etc.

International cooperation is an essential part of the mission of CAAS. IFST established the China-Argentina Food Science and Technology Center, China-Israel Joint Agricultural Research Center on behalf of the Chinese government, signed more than 70 international cooperation agreements with first-class institutes of the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Canada, Japan and other countries, established more than 20 international cooperation platforms, and were continuously deepening the international cooperation by ways including experts exchanges, joint postgraduate training, joint application for international cooperation projects and co-hosting international academic conferences.