MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED HUMAN NUTRITION

Philosophy 

The University of Nairobi has been offering the Master of Science in Food Science and Technology since 1984. This programme has become competitive as evidenced by the increased intake of students. The candidates of this course are mainly drawn from learning institutions, the food industry, regulatory authorities and Non-Governmental Organizations that serve the general public. The MSc. Food Science and Technology curriculum was developed in collaboration with various stakeholders and focuses on both the theoretical, practical and preventive aspects of Food Science and Technology throughout the food chain from primary production to consumption.

The M.Sc. Programme lays a good foundation for the world of work, research, and advanced learning across diverse fields. It imparts practical knowledge and skills in food science and technology.  It aims to produce highly trained professionals with the ability to effectively innovate, generate and promote technologies and strategies; by offering services that reduce and mitigate against malnutrition, food and nutrition insecurity thereby creating a positive impact on human nutrition, health and labour productivity as envisaged in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Kenya’s Vision 2030.The programme is aligned with the UNESCO Standards Classification of Education and Training of 2013. Add information on how we align to SDGs.

This programme is grounded in the belief that the department should provide quality education and training in food science and technology, among other fields. The department strongly believes in the importance of creation, preservation, integration, transmission and utilization of food science and technology knowledge and skills. The training of Food Science and Technology professionals is informed by the sustained evidence in support of the important and multidimensional role that food science and technology plays in human growth and development; productivity, and wellbeing. Globally, the field has gained greater eminence with the surge in lifestyle-related (non-communicable) diseases as well as increased demand and rationale, for preventive approaches in public health. Training professionals in Food Science and Technology makes a vital human resource development contribution in the reduction of food losses, addition of value to primary food products, efficient utilization of resources in food processing and preservation, sustainable waste management in food processing factories, employment creation, income generation and hunger eradication.

Rationale

In order to provide more impetus for the industrialization of food processing, more than just training manpower for the existing job market is required. There is a need for training manpower able to create job opportunities via self-employment and venture into manufacturing opportunities.

The current M.Sc. degree program in Food Science and Technology has been developed to address the need for producing trained manpower that is more inclined towards self-employment than job employment with emphasis being given to the current trend in the adoption of the technological innovations involving biotechnology as well as information and communication technology in manufacturing and marketing processes in the agricultural and food, medical and pharmaceutical-related enterprises. The food and nutrition sectorsare dynamic, with several changes taking place in recent years, most notably the Kenya government’s emphasis on the Big Four Agenda that includes growth in the manufacturing sector and improvement of food and nutrition security.