To promote the international exchange of food physical processing technology, the Third  International Symposium on Food Physical Processing Technology jointly hosted by Jiangsu University and Zhejiang University was held successfully on October 17, 2016, in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, under the strong support of the Rural Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Chinses Institute of Food Science and Technology. Director Jingdun Jia from the Rural Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology, director Yiqiang Ge, Dr. Xun Wei and Xuefeng Zhang from the Agricultural High-tech Department, director Yuhong Qian from the Rural Office of the Department of Science and Technology of Zhejiang Province, and more than 40 experts engaged in the research and development of food physical processing technology and equipment from nearly 20 institutes, universities, and related enterprises from Canada, the United States, and China participated in the symposium.

     Professor Xingqian Ye, the vice-president of the College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, presided over the conference. Professor Haile Ma, the dean of the School of Food Science and Biological Engineering of our university, briefly introduced the background information of the conference. Director Yuhong Qian from the Rural Office of the Department of Science and Technology of Zhejiang Province and professor Kunsong Chen, the assistant of the president of the Zhejiang University, respectively, on behalf of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology and Zhejiang University, made speeches to welcome the experts attending the conference. Finally, director Jingdun Jia from the Rural Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology delivered a major speech. He first affirmed the rapid development and significant achievements of China’s food physical processing technology in recent years and pointed out the importance of the scientific and technological innovation in supporting the development of food physical processing technology. Meanwhile, he put forward the strategic thinking on the methods on how to make better contributions to human health and further emphasized the main topics of the third annual conference. In the academic report session, the president Donghong Liu of Fuli Research Institute of Zhejiang University and professor Haile Ma of our university presided over the symposium. At the conference, professor Hosahalli S.Ramaswamy from McGill University, Canada, John Shi from Canadian Food Science Research Center, associate professor Carmen I. Moraru from Cornell University, professor Zhongli Pan from the University of California, Davis, associate professor Jianyong Wu from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, professor Wenyan Jing from the Nanjing University of Technology, professor Xinan Zeng from the South China University of Technology, professor Wei Zhao from the Jiangnan University, professor Donghong Liu from the Zhejiang University, and professor Haile Ma from our university gave wonderful academic reports on the field of food physical processing technologies, such as microwave, supercritical, ultra-high pressure, infrared, ultrasound, membrane separation, extrusion, and pulsed electric field. The experts at the conference held in-depth exchanges on the support of food physical processing technology for human health, formed consensuses on the new trend of the technological innovation, the international development frontier, and future industrialization development direction, and deepened the international cooperation.

     Food physical processing is a new field of food processing technology generated from the deep integration of modern physics, engineering technology, and conventional food processing technology. Food physical processing has provided more efficient and better-quality technical methods for the food industry. The current dilemma faced by the entire food industry and the profound changes in consumer demand pose greater challenges to food processing technology, and it is urgent to achieve technological breakthroughs upon scientific research and innovations. The symposium discussed the situation and opportunity of food physical processing technology innovation from the aspects of the current situation, existing problems, and the development suggestions of the food industry in China. Through the interpretation of the connotation and extension of food physical processing, promoted the international cooperation and exchange of food physical processing technology, and laid a solid foundation for further development of the field.

    Professor Haile Ma of our university innovatively came up with the basic concept of Food Physical Processing and established the Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Food Physical Processing in 2010. The laboratory is the only provincial key laboratory specialized in the fundamental theory and technical methods of food physical processing in China. In 2014 and 2015, two sessions of the high-tech forum on the innovation of food physical processing technology were held in our university, which was highly affirmed by the industrial associations, academia, and industry. It was considered a milestone for scientific research innovation and technological progress in the field of food science in the future. The next conference is preliminarily scheduled to be held in the United States to further explore the academic significance and industrial value of food physical processing on a larger scale and at a higher level.