My day is a blend of creativity, science, and culinary expertise. I review scientific literature and develop hypotheses for new plant-based meat and dairy products. In the lab, I craft prototypes using various ingredients and techniques, testing them for taste, texture, and appearance. It's like painting a blank canvas but with flavors and ingredients instead of paint. Each product isn't just a technical achievement—it's something that impacts public health and consumer choices on a large scale.
CAREER
Food Scientists and Technologists
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$73,450
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+4.4% (slower than the average)
Most Common Level of Education
Bachelor's degree
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Food Scientists and Technologists Do
Use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences to study the principles underlying the processing and deterioration of foods; analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein; discover new food sources; research ways to make processed foods safe, palatable, and healthful; and apply food science knowledge to determine best ways to process, package, preserve, store, and distribute food.
Other Job Titles Food Scientists and Technologists May Have
Food Chemist, Food Engineer, Food Scientist, Food Technologist, Food and Drug Research Scientist, Formulator, Product Development Scientist, Research Chef, Research Food Technologist, Research Scientist
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
50% writing, 30% researching food markets, 10% filling out forms for data requests, 10% meetings with work team/calls with clients/interviews with journalists.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- 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.
- Stay up to date on new regulations and current events regarding food science by reviewing scientific literature.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Food Scientists and Technologists
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Bachelor's degree (62%)
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Doctoral or professional degree
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Agricultural Economics
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Writing skills, critical thinking skills, organization and being good with deadlines. Experience writing blogs, or for a school newspaper would be helpful. Jobs in journalism, or working in the research side of food or agriculture would also be helpful.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
High School Students
Get a degree that requires you to either learn about the research process or journalism.
College Students
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
