The Diploma Program of Food Quality Assurance Supervisor has been established since 1993 in response to the need of skillful technician in food industries to supervise food processing, food quality and food safety activities in the chain of food production. Diploma students are prepared to have theoretical, technical and practical skills in food processing and food quality/food safety assurance, which are basically needs by food industries. The Department has produced numbers of Diploma graduates of Food Quality Assurance Supervisor and they have been working in various food industries, especially at food quality assurance division as food supervisors.

Diploma students of Food Quality Assurance Supervisor study basic and applied aspects of food production, such as courses on chemistry, physics, biology, food microbiology, basic food chemistry, food processing technology, food quality management, food packaging, sensory evaluation, food analysis, thermal processing, sanitation and hygiene, application of HACCP and food safety, food inspection, food processing equipment, etc. Students gain the knowledge from lectures, practical classes in laboratory/pilot plant, industrial visit, internship and seminars.

A minimum of 120 hours of credit is required for graduation. All courses can be taken as a 3-year course, including three-month industrial training.

Core Competence of Graduates

The graduates of Food Quality Assurance Supervisor Program will have the following core competence:

• To monitor and supervise every processing step and determine the critical point that may need significant attention and improvement.
• To perform food sampling and analysis.
• To monitor routinely whether Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) has been implemented correctly.
  To implement HACCP to the safety assurance of food products.

Curriculum

Th curriculum of Diploma program is designed through Instructional System Development Model (ISDM) approach by considering the stakeholder needs. The curriculum is delivered in form of theory (1/3) and practical in laboratory/pilot plant or industrial visit (2/3).

Click Curriculum of Diploma of Food Quality Assurance Supervisor

Facilities for Practical Work, Industrial Training

It is essential for students to gain the necessary confidence to enter the food industry as food supervisors. Our Department has a model of teaching industry namely Food Industrial Teaching System (FITS) in which students have opportunity to access to the equipment that mimics industrial-scale food processing equipment. Students have access to the pilot plant facilities for practical classes, industrial training, and internship in a real industrial atmosphere.

The Diploma graduates will have gained industrial experience during their study through internship program for at least three months. Students have opportunity to involve directly in food processing activities as food analyst, quality assurance supervisor, food product development, etc. Links between the Department and the food industry are very strong allowing our students have places for industrial training. Students are visited by staff on their industrial placements and the performance of the student is assessed both by the company and by the academic supervisor. At the end of their study, students are obligatory to submit internship report and present it in Department seminar.

Career Prospects

Diploma students of food quality assurance supervsior have many exciting and diverse career opportunities. Most of the Diploma graduates of Food Quality Assurance Supervisor works as food supervisor, food product development technologist, food analyst, food safety inspector, and food quality controller.