Sheffield Hallam University has launched the UK’s first accredited food and drink engineering degree: undergraduates will commence study in 2014.
The food and drink industry is exciting, fast moving and economically strong. According to the Food and Drink Federation: “[It is] the UK's largest manufacturing sector, employing 400,000 people in a huge variety of roles. By 2017 the industry anticipates that it will need over 130,000 new recruits to help it meet growing demand and skills shortages in areas such as engineering.”
Sheffield Hallam’s course is the first degree dedicated entirely to the needs of food and drink manufacturing. First entrants onto the four-year MEng Food Engineering programme will begin in September 2014. They will be qualified to Masters Level upon completion. A key feature of the course will be work placements at food and drink companies to provide students with much sought after employment skills and experience.
The project to create the degree has been delivered through a partnership of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), The National Skills Academy for Food and Drink and Sheffield Hallam University. Co-investment has come from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills through the Employer Investment Fund.
David Heath, minister for agriculture, officially launched the MEng degree on 7 February in Sheffield. Dr Martin Howarth, Head of Engineering and Mathematics at Sheffield Hallam said: "This project builds on our strong track record of providing excellent engineering education in partnership with leading industrial employers."
New, advanced food engineering skills have been identified as critical to the industry’s target of 20% growth by 2020. The design of the new food engineering degree has been facilitated by UK-based food manufacturers including Nestlé. The company’s UK & Ireland chairman and chief executive Fiona Kendrick, addressing attendees at the launch, said: “Our success depends on our ability to remain competitive and to innovate. But a lack of engineering and technical expertise will hold our industry back.”
Ms Kendrick explained that the new degree programme offered a chance for UK food manufacturers to take control of their future and shape the talent pipeline. Those who have already volunteered to offer placements include: ABF, apetito, Arla Foods, Burton’s Biscuit Company, Cargill, Dalehead Foods, Finsbury Foods, General Mills, Mars, McCains Foods, Mondelēz International, Nestlé UK, Pork Farms, Premier Foods, United Biscuits, Warburtons and the William Jackson Food Group. “I urge companies of all sizes to get involved,” said Ms Kendrick.
Angela Coleshill, FDF's Director of Employment, Skills and Corporate Services said: “Engineering is one of our industry's most vital specialisms, helping us increase efficiency and productivity. The launch of the MEng Food Engineering degree at Sheffield Hallam University marks a major step forward for our industry by creating a pool of specialist engineers equipped to help us meet future challenges. It is important that the next generation know there are exciting opportunities available.”
What is food engineering?
Food engineering blends engineering disciplines with a strong understanding of food and food science. It develops solutions to food design, manufacture and supply challenges whilst overcoming the unique issues that underpin safe food production. Food engineers help to deliver innovative and high quality products to customers throughout the world. They apply the mechanical engineering study of structures, systems performance, and how fluids behave, to safely and efficiently produce food and drink. Food engineers can specialise in design, development, research, maintenance and operations such as processing, packaging, storage and transportation.
For further information about Sheffield Hallam University’s degree course in Food and Drink Engineering:http://www.shu.ac.uk/prospectus/course/1247/
Institution of Mechanical Engineers ‘Food Engineer of the Year Award 2012’
The winner of the 2012 award is Laura Lee MEng, from the Centre of formulation engineering, University of Birmingham, for her paper entitled: ‘Processing nanoemulsions using high pressure devices’.
For more details, visit: http://www.imeche.org/knowledge/industries/process-industries/news/FoodEngineerAward2012
If you would like to enter the competition, please submit a synopsis of your proposed paper to the address below. Deadline for synopsis: Monday 18th November 2013.
For further details on this competition please contact Taz Khatun on +44 (0)20 7973 1306 or email: process@imeche.org
The Food Engineer of the Year Award is sponsored by KapaK Foods Limited.