40-3 |
Food engineering education in Mexico, Central and South America |
J. S. WELTI-CHANES, Univ. de las Americas-Puebla, Sta. Catarina Martir, Cholula Puebla, 72820, Mexico, F. T. Vergara-Balderas, Chemical and Food Engineering Department, Universidad de las Américas-Puebla, Santa Catarina Mártir, Puebla, 72820, Mexico, E. Parada-Arias, Secretaría de Apoyo Académico, Unidad Profesional "Adolfo López Mateos", Miguel Othon de Mendizabal s/n, Col. Residencial La Escalera, Zacatenco, México D. F., 07738, Mexico, G. V. Barbosa-Cánovas, Biological Systems Engineering Dept., Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6120, M. S. Tapia, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos, Universidad Central de Venezuela, P. O. Box 47097, Caracas, 1041-A, Venezuela, S. M. Alzamora, Departamento de Industrias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Capital Federal, 1428, Argentina, and J. M. Aguilera, Dirección de Desarrollo, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 306, Santiago, 22, Chile. The teaching Food Engineering in Mexico, Central and South America began more than 50 years ago, initially with programs related to Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. The first programs clearly denominated as Food Engineering, emerged during late 60’s and early 70’s. They were identified as 5-year B. S. (Licenciatura) programs and had a strong basic component in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and related areas. The first courses on Transport Phenomena and Unit Operations, appeared in the middle 70’s, and focused heavily on food processing and preservation. The Science and Technology for Development Program (CYTED), launched in the early 80’s, stimulated communication among academic groups of the mentioned Region along with Spain, and strengthened the development of Food Engineering by helping to create a communication net and supporting exchanges of students and academic staff. Latin-American research groups with international prestige helped to support the development of other groups of the Region and established the basis of what can be called a ‘new evolution stage’ of Food Engineering in Latin-America. In the middle 80’s the first Food Technology and Engineering Master and Doctorate programs were created, and the evolution of this area of knowledge began to be known as a result of an intense divulgation effort through the publication of scientific papers and books. Relevant developments on Food Engineering in Latin-America can be traced down to topics such as: evaluation of physico-chemical and transport properties, water activity, high and intermediate moisture foods, food drying, modeling and simulation of processes, hurdle technology or combined factors, minimal processing, and emerging technologies. At present, Food Engineering Education in Ibero-America is mixed and co-exists with the new paradigms related to the design of preservation processes and the development of Biotechnology.
Session 40, Educating tomorrow's food engineers -- Global perspectives
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