Food Technologist

Senior food technologist Anne Christifano spends her days in a kitchen laboratory developing new food products. In a typical experiment to create a new doughnut, she researches the ingredients, weighs them out on a balance, and cooks the doughnut. "The batter temperature and the oil frying temperature make a big difference in whether I get a good product. If I don't get the right taste or texture, I change the amounts of the ingredients...or adjust the temperature."

Knowledge of chemistry, microbiology, nutrition, and other sciences helps food technologist in all of the activities they do. A thorough understanding of basic laboratory skills and record-keeping, biochemical metabolic pathways, and DNA chemistry are essential to the well-trained food technologist.

Creation of new food products takes place in combination laboratory/kitchens where they create and test new recipes and food products. Other food chemists are employed in food packaging plants creating safe food storage packages and designing equipment to assemble food products. Food chemists investigate the safety of our food in university and government laboratories.

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Job Description

Careers in Food Science

Salary Information and Employment Outlook

What Can a Food Technologist Earn?

Training Requirements/Examinations

There is no specific license in food science, but a food technologist will have courses in Food Science, Meat/Dairy/Cereal Technology, Food Processing, Food Quality Assurance, Food Chemistry, Food Microbiology, Human Nutrition, and Food Production

Professional Associations

Institute of Food Technologists
American Association of Cereal Chemists
American Meat Science Association
American Dairy Science Association

Links

World of Food Science
U.S. Food and Drug Administration

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Other Related Job Titles

Quality Assurance Specialist Materials Analyst Product Development Scientist Food Scientist Flavor Chemist Assistant Production Manager Market Researcher

Food Analytical Chemist Dietetic Researcher Meat Scientist Cereal Scientist Food Inspector Food Microbiologist Dairy Products Scientist Operations Service Trainee

Some Food Technologist Employers

food ingredient suppliers state/federal government pet food manufacturers pharmaceutical firms supermarkets

chemical companies laboratories food business and industry manufacturers of lab equipment

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