NUS Department of Food Science and Technology

With commencement wrapping up last month, we would like to once again congratulate all our FST Honours, Masters, and PhD graduates from the Class of 2026!

Before the ceremony, the FST Department organised a graduation luncheon for all graduates where they had the opportunity to catch up over lunch, celebrate their achievements, and capture precious moments together at the photobooth.

We would also like to extend our thanks to our distinguished guest speaker, Mr Raphael Ho, an NUS FoS alumnus, for taking the time to share his inspiring life and work experiences with our graduates as they embark on a new stage of their lives.

Drawing inspiration from the 2026 World Cup back in July, Mr Ho shared three important lessons from his own experiences and reflections on life and work, which resonate across any field:

1️⃣ The resilience of the human spirit
Success is rarely achieved overnight. Mr Ho reminded our graduates that perseverance and repeated effort are essential to perfecting one’s craft and overcoming setbacks. As he shared from his own career, even in the face of rejection, resilience means showing up and giving your best again.

2️⃣ Setting your priorities right
As graduates begin their careers, they may find themselves pursuing success in the form of wealth, recognition, prestige or other personal goals. Mr Ho encouraged them to remain true to themselves and remember what truly matters, as the excitement of achievement may fade, but the deeper meaning we find in our lives stays with us.

3️⃣ Stay humble, grounded, and find your team
No one succeeds alone. Just as even the greatest footballers rely on their teammates and countless others behind the scenes, our own journeys are shaped by the people who support, guide and encourage us along the way. Mr Ho encouraged our graduates to find their team, uplift others, and never forget where they started.

He also left our graduates with a heartfelt reminder: wherever they may be in life, there will always be someone cheering them on. As they take their next steps beyond NUS, we hope our graduates will carry these lessons with them.

Once again, congratulations to the Class of 2026!

Congratulations to Manfred Ku on receiving the Faculty of Science (FoS) Best Graduate Research Award for PhD students from the Department of Food Science and Technology!

This award seeks to promote and recognise excellent research of graduate students in FoS, with one Best Graduate Researcher award given annually in each department. The award is based on the originality, significance and excellence in scientific research carried out by the candidate during their graduate studies.

Manfred’s research is focused on the use of carob pulp in the development of dark chocolate substitutes, with the specific aim of improving its flavour as a cocoa solid substitute for better consumer appeal. Carob is a traditional ingredient consumed within the Mediterranean region.

Due to supply constraints, cocoa prices have been rising drastically in recent years. Hence, adopting traditional solutions to solve current global challenges in the chocolate supply chain is becoming increasingly relevant.

By exploring the potential of carob as an alternative to cocoa solids, Manfred’s research demonstrates how food science can help address challenges in the global supply chain, while creating new opportunities for sustainable food development.

Congratulations once again to Manfred on this well-deserved achievement!

We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Prof Zhou Weibiao, Mdm Lee Chooi Lan and Ms Lew Huey Lee on being 2026 National Awards Recipients!

Prof Zhou Weibiao, Head of the Department of Food Science and Technology, was conferred the Public Administration Medal (Bronze), the Public Service Medal, and the Long Service Medal. The Public Administration Medal recognises public officers who have demonstrated outstanding efficiency, competence and industry in public service, while the Public Service Medal recognises commendable public service or achievement in one’s respective field. The Long Service Medal recognises those who have devoted at least 25 years of service to education, the Government or a statutory authority. These honours are a fitting recognition of Professor Zhou’s longstanding leadership, service and contributions to NUS and the Department.

Mdm Lee Chooi Lan, Associate Scientific Director of the Department of FST, was conferred the Commendation Medal, which recognises commendable performance and conduct, as well as significant efficiency, competence and devotion to duty. This recognition celebrates Mdm Lee’s dedicated service and valuable contributions to the Department over the years.

Ms Lew Huey Lee, Scientific Manager of the Department of FST, was conferred the Long Service Medal, in recognition of her dedicated service of at least 25 years in education and public service. This honour celebrates Ms Lew’s longstanding commitment and invaluable contributions to the Department.

We are proud to celebrate Prof Zhou, Mdm Lee and Ms Lew on these well-deserved national honours, and thank them for their years of dedicated service and contributions to NUS and the wider community. Congratulations!

On 5 August, we welcomed our incoming Year 1 FST students on Faculty Welcome Day. Students sat in on a sharing by Prof Liu Mei Hui on understanding the academic structure in FST and the many opportunities that await them. Some FST seniors also came down to share their experiences as FST undergraduates with the incoming students.

We look forward to welcoming you in the classrooms and laboratories. We hope you are excited for this next chapter of your academic development! 🌟

Congratulations to our Msc in Food Science and Human Nutrition (by Coursework) students graduating in the Class of June 2026! 🎓
In July, we celebrated the achievements of all our graduating students and would like to especially recognise our top-performing MSc students, who have demonstrated outstanding academic excellence:

1st place:
Chan See Kee, Charlese
Lu Hongjin

2nd place:
Hoh Shi Teng

A huge congratulations to Charlese, Hongjin and Shi Teng for this remarkable achievement! We wish you every success in your future endeavours.

Yet, as one chapter ends, another starts; in the same month, we welcomed our incoming MSc in Food Science & Human Nutrition students at the MSc students Meet and Greet session. It was an exciting time where incoming students got to meet their coursemates over lunch, and learnt more about life on campus and in Singapore to get them oriented on what to expect here.

The session concluded with a fun pop quiz, where the top participants received a token of appreciation from the Department!

We wish you all a fruitful journey in this next chapter of professional development! 🌟

[AOAC SEA Conference Student Awards 2026: Call for Submission]

Calling all Southeast Asia (SEA) young scientists: Get the chance to gain recognition, receive financial support, and present your work at the AOAC SEA Section 5th Annual Conference, happening from 20-21 October 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia!

Selected awardees will receive cash awards presented at the conference, along with a potential opportunity to deliver an oral presentation, and an official e-certificate issued by the AOAC SEA Section.

Eligible undergraduate, postgraduate (or equivalent) students are welcome to apply. Applications close on 24 August 2026.

For more details or for entry submission, scan the QR codes in the image below.
For further enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

We are thrilled to celebrate Nicole Wong Min Yee’s outstanding achievement at NUTRITION 2026, the American Society for Nutrition’s (ASN) flagship annual meeting held in National Harbour, Maryland, from July 25-28.

Nicole emerged first place among six finalists (out of 239 applicants) for the Student Interest Group (SIG) Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Award Competition, supported by the US National Dairy Council. She delivered a 3-minute oral presentation on her research (supervised by A/P Kim Jung Eun):

“Effects of Dietary Protein Intake and Source on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors via Plasma and Urinary Metabolomics: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Singapore Older Adults”.

Furthermore, Nicole was named a finalist in ASN’s Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition (ELPC), recognising the top 10% of abstract submitted by students and postdoctoral fellows worldwide, as rated by over 650 nutrition scientists! Organised by ASN’s Research Interest Sections, the Global Nutrition Council and the Medical Nutrition Council, the Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition included 90 finalists competing within abstract topical areas.

Nicole also presented another poster titled “Sex-Dependent Urinary Metabolomic Responses to Animal and Plant Proteins Intake: An Acute Randomized Crossover Trial of Healthy Older Singapore Adults” at the conference.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to our other students who represented us at NUTRITION 2026:

Yu Lingyin
• (ELPC Finalist) Poster: Effects of Higher Protein Intake From Different Dietary Sources on Sleep Quality and Gut Microbiota in Older Adults in Singapore: A Randomized Controlled Trial
• Poster: Effects of Higher Protein Intake From Different Dietary Sources on Sleep Quality and Gut Microbiota in Older Adults in Singapore: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Marcus Ting
• Poster: Associations of Protein Intake With Parameters of Eye Health and Levels of Advanced Glycation End Products in Singapore Older Adults

Liang Yuxin
• Poster: Impact of Regular Consumption of Eggs and Nutrient-Fortified Eggs on Atopic Dermatitis Condition in Singapore Individual With Atopic Dermatitis

A huge congratulations to two of our recent graduates on their outstanding achievements! 🎉

Last Sunday, we celebrated the accomplishments of:

Mr Tay Jing Lin, recipient of the dsm-firmenich Prize, awarded in recognition of his exceptional performance and achievements in Food Science and Technology.

Ms Shania Wang E-Jen, recipient of the SIFST Best Student Award cm Postgraduate Scholarship, in recognition of her outstanding academic excellence and potential for future contributions to the food science profession.

These awards reflect the dedication and hard work that Jing Lin and E-Jen have demonstrated throughout their course of study at NUS. We are proud of their accomplishments and look forward to seeing the impact they will make in the FST community.

Congratulations once again, Jing Lin and E-Jen! We wish you both every success in your future endeavours.

Following an exciting NUS FoodTech Challenge 2026 Finals, the six winning local and international teams came together once again for the Post Finals Programme, where they spent three enriching days exploring Singapore’s food innovation ecosystem and the growing trend of high-protein beverages. 💪🥛

The highlight of the programme was a Fireside Chat featuring Chua Jian Yong from Mottanai Food Tech and Florence Leong from Kosmode Health. The speakers shared candid insights into their entrepreneurial journeys, discussing the origins of their start-ups, the challenges of scaling food innovation ventures, and the motivations that continue to drive their work. The session also sparked engaging discussions on consumer-driven nutrition trends, the growing demand for high-protein products in Singapore, and the role of an ageing population in shaping the future of the food industry.

The programme also entailed other enriching activities including a focus group discussion to explore consumer attitudes towards high-protein beverages, and various tours, including of the Dodo Fishball Factory and our very own Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein @ NUS!

A heartfelt thank you to our speakers and industry partners for taking the time to share their invaluable experiences during the various activities, and to all participants for making the programme such an engaging exchange of ideas. We hope the friendships, conversations, and insights gained over the past three days will continue to inspire the next generation of food innovators. 👩🏻‍🔬

Congratulations to Dr Kim Jung Eun on her promotion to Associate Professor with tenure with effect from 1 July 2026! 🎉

As a nutrition scientist with expertise in dietetics and human clinical research, Associate Professor Kim has made significant contributions to advancing our understanding of the relationship between nutrition and healthy ageing. Her research focuses on developing evidence-based dietary strategies to protect against age-associated morbidities such as obesity and cardiovascular disease through human clinical studies.

Beyond her research, Associate Professor Kim is a dedicated educator whose commitment to teaching has been recognised through multiple Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards and the Faculty Honour Roll. Her passion for nurturing the next generation of nutrition professionals and food scientists continues to enrich our student and academic community.

We congratulate Associate Professor Kim on this well-deserved milestone and look forward to her continued contributions to research and education in food science and human nutrition. 🎊