Levels: Masters and PhD.

History

The Department of Food Science (DCA) was founded in 1972, in order to meet the programs of staff training, capable of providing assistance to food industries. For that purpose, there was a development of the former Department of Chemistry and Technology, resulting in the Departments of Chemistry, Soils and Food Science.

In 1976, with the creation of the Graduate Program in Food Science (PPGCA), the Master’s program was launched and accredited by the Federal Council of Education in February 1989. Currently, the Master’s program has more than 460 thesis defended by representatives of almost all Brazilian states and from countries in Africa and Latin America.

In 1990, CAPES recommended opening the Doctoral program, which was recognized by the Federal Council of Education in the same year and was launched in March 1991. Since then, more than 200 doctoral dissertations have been defended in the Program.

In 1996, the Council for Education, Research and Extension (CEPE) of UFLA approved the creation of the Undergraduate Program in Food Engineering, strengthening the activities of education, research, and extension of the DCA. In 2009, the Nutrition program was created, which also contributed to the staff and physical growth of DCA. In 2014, the Nutrition program was offered by the newly created Department of Nutrition.

Currently, PPGCA is composed of 22 faculty members, 20 permanents and two collaborators, and its objective is training professors and/ or researchers and specialized professionals, in both Master’s and Doctoral degrees, in the areas of knowledge in: Science and Technology of Products of Plant and Animal Origin; Food Microbiology; Development and Nutritional-Sensory Evaluation of Food; Food Packaging; Rudimentary and Industrial Fermentation Processes; and Food Engineering.