Food Engineering

Educational purpose of Food Engineering Program

The Food Engineering program at the University of Caldas aims to respond to local, regional, national and international needs. It is in a continuous improvement process concerning the implementation of mechanisms to address context and projection to the community problems.

To achieve this, the program seeks to:

• Educate Food Engineers with knowledge in basic sciences, food sciences, and engineering, to properly handle and transform food raw materials through design, development, research, and innovation.
• Contribute to society by producing integral, responsible, and ethical professionals who uphold values and a sense of social belonging.

Program Educational Objectives

To train engineering professionals who understand and apply the scientific fundamentals, the principles of process engineering, food science, and strong humanistic foundations for the transformation and proper handling of food raw materials. Considering:

• Understand, apply, and comprehend the principles of engineering and basic sciences.
• Apply knowledge of engineering and technology to processes of food transformation and handling.
• Exhibit appropriate social behaviors related to respect, responsibility, acceptance of differences, conflict resolution, and teamwork.
• Develop communication skills based on understanding, respect, acceptance of diverse opinions, freedom of expression, and assertive transmission of one’s own ideas.
• Apply knowledge of administrative principles, quality assurance, logistics, and production scheduling in industries related to food transformation and handling.
• Master and apply basic and applied research methods for problem-solving and product development in the agri-food industry.
• Train engineers with the skills to design, build, and evaluate industrial processes in the food sector, in alignment with the regional and national context.
• Foster skills to become agents of change in the food sector, directing their actions towards the well-being of the community and environment in which they work.
• Critically assess the social, political, economic, and cultural environment in which they will work, ensuring they can perform effectively with strong ethical and professional standards, supported by solid physical, mental, and academic training.
• Design and implement Quality and Safety Management Systems in the food industry, ensuring healthy, safe, and nutritious products at all stages of the production process.
• Develop the capacity to create innovative enterprises.

Student Outcomes

• SO1. Identifies problems within the food sector to propose solutions alternatives through research, projection, investment, and entrepreneurship projects, with the formulation of proposals for context-appropriate design of products, processes, and services by applying basic sciences, food sciences, and engineering.
• SO2. Applies standardization and continuous improvement tools, considering guidelines from quality assurance and safety management systems, as well as regulations in the food sector, considering contextual characteristics related to sanity, environment, public health, and occupational safety.
• SO3. Assertively present and argue ideas in scenarios with audiences of different levels of academic background.
• SO4. Analyzes the importance of human, social, ethical, environmental and economic implications in their professional work, with responsibility and autonomy.
• SO5. Has the ability to work collaboratively, inclusively, and with leadership in a team, and is able to establish goals, plan activities and meet objectives.
• SO6. Develops experimental activities, analyzes and interprets data by applying basic sciences, food sciences, and engineering, while cross-referencing with bibliographic reviews on the topic of interest.
• SO7. Acquires and applies new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Professional Profile

The Food Engineer graduated from the Universidad de Caldas will be a qualified professional with competencies to:

• Researches the socio-economic and food reality to diagnose population demands and needs, formulating development strategies in the fields of agro-industry and food.
• Designs, builds, and evaluates industrial setups aimed to transform agricultural originated food.
• Controls and supervises the various stages of production processes in the food industry.
• Designs, establishes, and executes plans to control and ensure quality and safety of raw food materials, as well as products in process and finished goods.
• Directs and comprehensively manages units involved in food transformation, preservation, distribution, storage, shipping, and transportation.
• Manages projects for creating agro-industrial and food companies.
• Participates in projects focused on generating new products, processes, and utilizing by-products.
• Acts as a change agent, promoting community well-being and environmental stewardship from within the food sector.

Applicant Profile

People with a high school education with mathematical skills, leadership, teamwork, innovative and with morally upright. Those aspiring to become professionals in Food Engineering should possess:

• Interest in basic sciences such as mathematics, chemistry, and biology.
• Curiosity for learning, researching, innovating, and utilizing technological tools.
• Motivation to face challenges and be creative.
• Awareness of the impact of handling and manipulating food products within society.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Argumentative and communication skills.

Procedimiento de Admisión

El ingreso y selección de estudiantes se realiza mediante la ponderación de los resultados del Examen de Estado (Saber 11). La Universidad dispone en su página web de un enlace de Admisiones que contiene información sobre los Programas ofertados en cada período académico, el calendario de las admisiones, el proceso de inscripción, selección y matrícula. Como ponderados para el ingreso al Programa Ingeniería de Alimentos se tienen:

• Lectura Crítica: 15%
• Matemáticas: 40%
• Ciencias Sociales y Competencias Ciudadanas: 5%
• Ciencias Naturales: 40%