Career options in food science Food product or ingredient development scientist. Food microbiologist or food safety expert. Food Process and Packaging Design Engineer. Food plant production supervisor or manager.
Those who thrive in a busy, fast-paced environment may want to consider becoming chefs. Be careful, the hours can be long and often unsociable, but for those who love to cook, this can be an incredibly rewarding career. Let's start with one of the darkest jobs for food scientists. If you like working with animals and are concerned about animal health and safety, you could consider applying your degree in food science to work as an animal nutritionist.
These professionals work in zoos, veterinary hospitals and other facilities that house animals in need of care, including regular feeding. These special types of nutritionists must understand the dietary needs of each animal and the types of food those animals eat in the wild. Animal nutritionists also determine the amount of calories each animal needs based on their age and size, and ensure that those animals receive the best possible nutritional care. While food science refers to creating and maintaining a supply of healthy and healthy food, nutrition science focuses on the relationship between a person's diet and their health.
The different paths of food science and nutrition are rapidly merging in the current era, in which people have become more aware of what they consume. Nutritionists are now working with food scientists to develop processed foods that are also nutritious, rather than simply telling people to give up certain foods. To have a successful career in the food industry, it is important to have knowledge in both. A food scientist must have fundamental knowledge of nutrition in order to be able to judge the viability of different ingredients during the production of food products.
And a nutritionist must know the basics of food science to understand why foods are processed and stored under different conditions. If you're a bit of a foodie, take note: a career in food science doesn't necessarily mean that you limit yourself to lab or desk work. There are lots of different slices of the cake to choose from. Essentially, the food science industry works to process, evaluate, package and distribute food.
But you can also participate in areas such as research and development, food standards, nutrition and safety, just to name a few. If you're interested in pursuing a graduate degree in food science, you'll need a level 8 degree in Science, Business, Management, Agricultural Science, or Engineering. Some of the jobs in food science with a degree in food science require you to work in restaurants and food packaging facilities. In some circles, there's even a misconception that food science isn't a real science, or that students who specialize in food science won't have viable employment opportunities.
Follow Michele Perchonok, member of the IFT, former manager of Advanced Food Technology at NASA, and members of the food science team as they guide us through their work at the Food Systems Space Laboratory and describe their role in conceptualizing and preparing food for successful space missions. These technicians work with research institutes, farmers and organizations that want to improve food quality. Even so, it's possible to use your degree in food science to work as a research scientist or technician in food science. Recipe developers also work for companies that manufacture products such as boxed cake mixes and other precooked foods.
An academic career generally requires an advanced degree and a research specialization in a particular area, such as food chemistry, microbiology, toxicology, engineering, or nutrition. While a food degree isn't essential for this position, it can be incredibly useful for understanding the industry. Industrial food scientists are needed in quality management, processing, research and development, marketing and distribution of food. These food scientists can specialize in a specific area of food microbiology, such as discovering new food preservation techniques or developing new ways to detect food deterioration, for example.
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