Agricultural and Marine Sciences > Academic Department > Food Science and Nutrition

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The Department of Food Science and Nutrition (FSN) at the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences was established in 1996. The vision of the Department is to become a leader in Oman and the Arabian Gulf region meeting the international standards for excellence in higher education and research. The department provides two undergraduate programs, one in Food Science and the other in Human Nutrition. The curricula of both programs are intended to offer students a sound theoretical and practical background in each area by offering a wide variety and relevant range of subjects that provide the students with knowledge in food science and nutrition and problem-solving skills. In addition, the department offers postgraduate programs in Food Science and Nutrition leading to Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

The Department is committed to achieving excellence in teaching, research and outreach activities. In addition to dedicated academic, technical and research staff, our educational and research programs are supported by excellent facilities including classrooms, state-of-the-art equipped laboratories, and modern dairy processing pilot plant. Food Science and Nutrition faculties are active in different research areas. The research interests include food safety and quality, fermentation, sensory evaluation, product development, food processing, and engineering as well as the role of functional foods in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. In human nutrition, the research emphasis is to contribute and promote human health, quality of life and well-being of individuals and populations.

The major research interest are to study the nutritional quality and glycemic index of traditional Omani foods and their effect on the glycemic responses and atherogenic risk factors, dietary consumption patterns and assessment of nutritional status of Omani population. Study the antioxidants, bioactive components, and phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables as well as the role food and nutrients at cellular and molecular levels and to integrate them with human behaviours and dietary and lifestyle patterns of community in the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases. Food Science and Nutrition faculties interact extensively with different public and private sectors in Oman through many activities which aim to serve the community with the goal of improving the health and quality of life.

Prof. MD Shafiur Rahman

Prof. MD Shafiur Rahman
Head of the Department

Vision

The Department of Food Science and Nutrition aspires to excel in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, research, and services in food science and human nutrition in the Sultanate of Oman.

Transfer criteria

For transfer to and from the major follow the link

Program Learning Outcomes

Food Science Program Learning Outcomes	Human Nutrition Program Learning Outcomes
Understand the chemistry underlying the properties and reactions of various food components and how to control these reactions in particular those limiting the shelf life of foods.	Locate, interpret, evaluate and use professional literature to apply evidence-based guidelines and protocols and use current information technologies.
Identify the important pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in food, the conditions under which they grow, are inactivated, killed, or made harmless in foods.	Apply critical thinking skills.
Understand the transport processes and unit operations in food processing required to produce a given food product and the effect of raw material variability, food processing, engineering, preservation, packaging, and storage on product safety and quality.	Demonstrate effective and professional oral and written communication for clinical and customer services.
Apply analytical techniques to characterize composition and to identify physical, chemical, and biological changes in foods.	Discuss the impact of health care policy and different health care delivery systems on food and nutrition services.
Identify the importance of food laws and regulations required for the manufacture and sale of safe and quality food products.	Demonstrate advocacy on national legislative and regulatory issues or policies impacting the nutrition and dietetics profession.
Conduct applied research, and use statistical tools in experimental design and data analysis.	Identify and describe the work of interprofessional teams and the roles of others with whom the dietitian-nutritionist collaborates in the delivery of food and nutrition services in various practice settings.
Apply the principles of Food Science in its multidisciplinary scope to practical, real-world problems in Product Development.	Show cultural competence/sensitivity in interactions with clients, colleagues and staff.
Apply critical thinking and continued learning to professional problems and develop possible solutions and make thoughtful recommendations.	Apply knowledge of food science, nutrient requirements, metabolism, nutrient and drug-nutrient interactions to deliver nutrition services based on evidence.
Effectively communicate scientific, technical and other information in both oral and written forms.	Use the Nutrition Care Process to make decisions, identify nutrition-related problems and determine and evaluate nutrition interventions based on evidence.
Develop organizational, team work, leadership skills and handling of multiple tasks and pressures.	Develop and deliver programs and nutrition education materials that are culturally and age appropriate and designed for the literacy level of the audience in promoting consumer health, wellness and lifestyle management.
Demonstrate professional skills and thoughts of ethical, social, integrity and respect for diversity.	Demonstrate counseling and education methods to facilitate behavior change and enhance wellness for diverse individuals and groups.
	Coordinate procurement, production, distribution and service of goods and services.
	Evaluate recipes, formulas and menus for acceptability and affordability that accommodate the health needs of various populations, groups and individuals
	Explain the processes involved in delivering safe quality food and nutrition services.
	Apply management skills to determine costs, prepare budget, interpret financial data, solve problems, make decisions and apply marketing principles.
	Demonstrate active participation, teamwork and contributions in group settings.

The department offers four programs as follow:

The department conducts researches in food science, nutrition, and related areas, using available resources to study topics of significance to these disciplines. In all of its efforts, the Department aims to contribute to the development of Omani Society by providing solutions for its main concerns which will bring the health and well-being to the Omani society as well as to contribute to the global knowledge.

The research in the area of Food Science and Nutrition is diverse and focused on improving the quality and safety of fresh and processed food products in Oman, in developing new food products and ingredients from indigenous raw materials and underutilized resources, in developing new analytical and microbial characterization techniques and generating data on food properties and in evaluating of the associations between dietary and lifestyle factors and the occurrence of certain chronic diseases.

The results of these studies can be used by the government agencies, the food industry, education and health institutions to diversify their production, to enhance the knowledge of young generations and to generate more wealth and to improve the health status of the Omani population.

The Department offers a Bachelors Degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition/Dietetics as well as a Masters Degree in Food Science and Nutrition. Food science is a discipline where biological, physical and engineering sciences are used to study the nature of food, their deterioration, and the changes that take place during their processing. Food technologists/scientists will be able to apply their knowledge in the areas of Food Chemistry, Food processing, Food engineering, Food Microbiology, Quality Control, Food regulations, and Human Nutrition. Nutrition is the science of nourishment. It deals with the body’s interaction with food; it’s absorption, utilization and elimination of the end products of nutrient metabolism in a healthy state as well as in the conditions of the disorder. Nutritionists/dietetics will have a sound background needed for practice in hospitals, primary health care facilities, and institutional food services. They will acquire the ability to assess, plan and implement a treatment plan for patients in hospitals/clinic setting.

Specific Internship Objectives for Food Science Students:

To allow students to gain valuable technical know-how in as many areas of the food industry as possible. Towards this end, students should be exposed to the following areas such as raw material acquisition, food product manufacture (formulation, processing, packaging, manpower scheduling), quality control (on-line monitoring, reporting, quality assurance), sales and marketing, and product development.
To allow students to acquire practical experience in conducting researches, food quality evaluation, and analyses of food constituents for meeting Oman food regulations, and formulation of Oman food laws by working with various government establishments.

Specific Internship Objectives for Human Nutrition Students:

To give the student an understanding of the objectives and procedures of nutritional care and introduce the skills required in integrating this knowledge with related aspects of clinical care.
To have an understanding of the importance and effect of nutritional therapy, ranging from meal preparation and diet modification to the administration of specialized nutritional therapies such as intravenous or tube feedings. The student should also be able to evaluate laboratory data and other patient information, understand the purpose of the main aspects of treatment of the conditions discussed, assess the nutritional status of a patient and the nutritional adequacy of the diet in terms of specific medical conditions, plan the most frequently used diet modifications, recognize the interrelationships between diet and other forms of treatment, and integrate sociological factors into the nutritional care plan.

Department of FSN

FSN Internship Coordinator:

Phone: +968-24141274

Fax: +968-24413418