A college for food safety and food industry development was established on Wednesday through cooperation between Xi'an Jiaotong University and Hangzhou Hongsheng Beverage Group Ltd.

The Fuli Charity Foundation under Hongsheng donated 100 million yuan ($16 million) toward building the Fuli Food Science and Engineering College at the university in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province.

"The Food Science and Engineering College will train high-end industrial professionals, support the research and development of food safety and continue to narrow the gap between food and beverage industries in China and foreign countries," said Zong Fuli, founder of the charity foundation and president of Hangzhou Hongsheng Beverage Group Ltd.

At present, China does not have a university that can train cross-disciplinary experts for the development of food science, productive equipment and processing control, which is the biggest challenge for the sustainable innovation and development of China's food industry.

"I hope the newly established college is able to help solve the challenge," said Wang Shuguo, president of Xi'an Jiaotong University.