Program overview
Simply put, this major teaches you how to turn crops like soybeans, rapeseed, corn, and peanuts into products such as cooking oil, plant protein powder, and plant-based meat. You'll study core courses like oil chemistry, protein engineering, and grain processing technology, and get hands-on with experiments—like extracting oil using pressing or solvent methods, or using enzymatic techniques to make plant proteins easier to absorb. Chinese universities have a natural edge here: China is the world's largest soybean importer and cooking oil consumer. Many universities (e.g., Jiangnan University, China Agricultural University) boast national-level labs with cutting-edge equipment and close partnerships with giants like COFCO and Yihai Kerry. This major is ideal for students who enjoy chemistry and biology, love hands-on work, and want to solve real-world food challenges.