If you're stepping into college and trying to find the right fit for your career, you've got a lot of options. If you like science and food, a food science technologist is one for you. This role might not always grab headlines, but it plays a crucial part in the food industry.
In simple terms, a food science technologist ensures that what ends up on our plates is safe and high-quality, but what exactly does that entail? Let's explore all that this job involves and the difference it makes in everyday life.
What Do They Do?
Testing and Quality Control
One of the main responsibilities of a food science technologist is testing! They ensure that foods meet the required standards and nutrient levels. For example, food science technologists might check that a batch of cereal has the right texture, taste, moisture level, and that the packaging seals properly. This ensures that every box of cereal we buy is what we want, not a gross surprise.
Supporting Research and Development
Another big part of a food science technologist's job is research and development. R&D involves experimenting with new ingredients, improving a product's healthiness, developing packaging that keeps food fresh longer, and much more. Food technologists run the laboratory, experimenting with new methods of processing, chemical composition, and packaging to improve the foods we enjoy.
Ensuring Food Safety and Compliance
Safety is a big deal in food production, and it should be! Food science technologists ensure that food meets government-set regulatory standards for the company. In their labs, they not only test food for quality, but for bacteria, pathogens, and potential diseases. Food science technologists are on the front lines, keeping you healthy and confident in the food you buy.
Where Do They Work?
Laboratories
Food science technologists might spend most of their time in a lab, working with petri dishes, running tests, and checking on samples. Or they could be researching new processes for the food industry, working with new ingredients and developing new kinds of packaging.
Processing Plants
Technologists will often gather samples right out in the field to bring them back to the lab. Or they can check the food safety protocols and procedures on the factory floor to ensure they meet industry standards.
What Does a Food Science Technologist Do?
In short: a lot! They test food quality, conduct research, ensure safety and compliance, and work in labs and processing plants. Their work ensures our food is what we want and expect, develops new foods for us to enjoy, and monitors food for contaminants so we don't get sick. Their work is integral to our food systems!
If you're looking for future careers in science, then a food science technologist might be a job worth considering. You could work in a lab or in a production plant, improving food and checking it for quality and safety. As a food science technologist, you can be a major part of making food better for everyone.
Citations:
https://www.mynextmove.org/profile/summary/19-1012.00
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/agricultural-and-food-scientists.htm#tab-2