2020 International Non-thermal Food Processing Symposium has been successfully held in Zhenjiang International Hotel on November 17th to 19th, 2020. This conference is organized by Jiangsu University and Non-thermal Processing Technology Branch of Chinese Institute for Food Science and Technology, and undertaken by School of Food and Biological Engineering, Institute of Food Physical Processing, Jiangsu University, and School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, and co-organized by China Agricultural University, Jiangnan University, Zhejiang University and South China University of Technology.

Professor Hu Xiaosong，vice chairman of Society of Chinese Food Science and Technology, Director of National Fruit and Vegetable Processing Engineering Technology Research Center of China Agricultural University, Professor Liu Donghong, Professor Zeng Xin'an and Professor Ma Haile，vice chairman of Non-thermal Processing Technology Branch of Chinese Institute for Food Science and Technology, as well as more than 240 experts and scholars from 77 universities, research institutes and enterprises participated in this symposium. 35 experts and 14 graduate students gave academic reports for this symposium. Zhao Yutao, vice president of Jiangsu University, Ren Xudong, director of Science and Technology Division, and Wan Youling, party secretary of School of Food and Bioengineering, attended the opening ceremony. Professor Ma Haile, director of Institute of Food Physical Processing, presided over the opening ceremony.

Vice president Zhao Yutao, on behalf of the school, extended a warm welcome to the experts and scholars, introduced the basic situation of our school and development and construction of food science to the guests, expressed gratitude to the experts and scholars long-term concern and support school construction and subject development, and finally hoped the participants would have full exchanges, so that the meeting will be fruitful.

Vice chairman Hu Xiaosong congratulated the convening of this symposium on behalf of the Chinese Institute for Food Science and Technology. He pointed out that the sudden outbreak of COVID-19  in 2020 presents new opportunities and challenges for the development of the food industry, hoped that the scholars would further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the field of non-thermal processing through this symposium, and promote the industrial development and application of food non-thermal processing technology.

Professor Hu Xiaosong from China Agricultural University, Professor Hosahalli S. Ramaswamy from McGill University, Canada, Professor Tu Zongcai from Jiangxi Normal University, Professor Muthupandian Ashokkumar from the University of Melbourne, Australia, Professor Ma Haile from Jiangsu University, and Professor PJ Cullen from the University of Sydney, Australia, made special invitation reports respectively in the form of online and offline combination. In the three sub-venues, 29 domestic experts gave wonderful special reports focusing on three themes of "Theoretical Exploration and Technology Development of Non-thermal Food Processing", "Equipment Innovation and Achievement Transformation of Non-thermal Food Processing" and "Food Plasma Processing". Professor Zhou Cunshan, deputy dean of the School of Food and Biological Engineering, Professor Ren Xiaofeng, deputy dean of the Institute of Food Physics Processing, and Professor Chen Xiumin, gave academic reports at branch venues.

This symposium also set up postgraduate forums and poster presentations. Postgraduates from domestic universities fully demonstrated their outstanding academic achievements. In the postgraduate forum, 14 students from China Agricultural University, Zhejiang University, Jiangnan University, South China University of Technology, Shenyang Agricultural University and Jiangsu University gave academic reports. This symposium also displayed the selected posters by participating graduate students, and selected 4 first prizes and 7 second prizes.

With the theme of "Future Food and Equipment Innovation", this symposium invited domestic and foreign experts and scholars to conduct enthusiastic discussions on the technological progress of the future food industry, the in-depth promotion of green and sustainable social development, the strengthening of technological exchanges and the integration of innovation capabilities. They provided valuable opinions and suggestions on how to further promote the innovation of food non-thermal processing technology and equipment.

 (Institute of Food Physical Processing)