He will chair and serve on the Nominating Committee and will serve on the Audit and Compensation Committees of the Board of Directors.

Xianfu Zhu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Zhongpin, said: "We are very pleased to welcome Xiaosong Hu to Zhongpin's Board of Directors. With 23 years of professional experience, his extensive involvement and expertise in our industry, in research and teaching, and in government and academic associations will bring substantial additional depth and breadth to our board.

"Mr Hu has extensive experience and knowledge in the study of food safety issues in China, which we believe will also be very valuable as we execute our expansion strategy. We are sure his contributions to our deliberations and decisions will help guide our future success as we strive to continue pleasing customers, growing our company, and creating additional value for shareholders."

Since June 1988, Mr. Hu has been engaged in teaching and research work in the Food Science and Engineering College of the China Agricultural University. He is currently a professor and an advisor to Ph.D. candidates.

He graduated with a bachelor's degree in agriculture from the Huazhong Agricultural College in 1982 and with a master's degree from the Food Science Department of the Beijing Agricultural University in 1988.

Professor Hu serves in several academic and government organisations that include:

• Executive Vice President of the Science and Technology Development Academy of the China Agricultural University
• Member of the Growth Enterprise Market Technical Committee of the China Securities Regulatory Commission
• Vice President of the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology
• Member of the Science and Technology Committee of China's Ministry of Agriculture
• Member of the Academic Committee of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and
• Member of the State Food and Nutrition Consultant Committee.