Food Scientist or Technologist

Overview and Key Facts

What Do They Do?

A food scientist or technologist could...

Overview Listen to this section

There is a fraction of the world's population that doesn't have enough to eat or doesn't have access to food that is nutritionally rich. Food scientists or technologists work to find new sources of food that have the right nutrition levels and that are safe for human consumption. In fact, our nation's food supply depends on food scientists and technologists that test and develop foods that meet and exceed government food safety standards. If you are interested in combining biology, chemistry, and the knowledge that you are helping people, then a career as a food scientist or technologist could be a great choice for you!

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Food Scientist or Technologist?

1. Writing: ? Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
2. Active Listening: ? Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
3. Reading Comprehension: ? Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
4. Complex Problem Solving: ? Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
5. Monitoring: ? Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

6. Speaking: ? Talking to others to convey information effectively.
7. Critical Thinking: ? Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
8. Judgment and Decision Making: ? Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
9. Active Learning: ? Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
10. Science: ? Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Food Scientist or Technologist might do:

• Inspect food processing areas to ensure compliance with government regulations and standards for sanitation, safety, quality, and waste management.
• Check raw ingredients for maturity or stability for processing, and finished products for safety, quality, and nutritional value.
• Develop new or improved ways of preserving, processing, packaging, storing, and delivering foods, using knowledge of chemistry, microbiology, and other sciences.
• Test new products for flavor, texture, color, nutritional content, and adherence to government and industry standards.
• Evaluate food processing and storage operations and assist in the development of quality assurance programs for such operations.
• Stay up to date on new regulations and current events regarding food science by reviewing scientific literature.
• Confer with process engineers, plant operators, flavor experts, and packaging and marketing specialists to resolve problems in product development.
• Study the structure and composition of food or the changes foods undergo in storage and processing.
• Seek substitutes for harmful or undesirable additives, such as nitrites.
• Study methods to improve aspects of foods, such as chemical composition, flavor, color, texture, nutritional value, and convenience.
• Develop food standards and production specifications, safety and sanitary regulations, and waste management and water supply specifications.
• Develop new food items for production, based on consumer feedback.
• Demonstrate products to clients.