Food Scientists & Technologists
Also called: Food Scientist, Food Technologist, Research Food Technologist, Research Scientist,
What they 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.On the job, you would:
- 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.
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
Math and Science
Arts and Humanities
Engineering and Technology
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Basic Skills
Problem Solving
People and Technology Systems
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Verbal
Ideas and Logic
Math
Visual Understanding
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People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
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You might use software like this on the job: Spreadsheet software
Presentation software
Analytical or scientific software
|
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![]() New job opportunities are likely in the future.
![]() $68,970
![]() $40,360
$124,660
|
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What they 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.On the job, you would:
- 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.
KNOWLEDGE
Manufactured or Agricultural Goods
- food production
- manufacture and distribution of products
Math and Science
- biology
- chemistry
Arts and Humanities
- English language
Engineering and Technology
- product and service development
SKILLS
Basic Skills
- listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
- reading work related information
Problem Solving
- noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
- thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
- figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
ABILITIES
Verbal
- listen and understand what people say
- read and understand what is written
Ideas and Logic
- notice when problems happen
- make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
Math
- add, subtract, multiply, or divide
- choose the right type of math to solve a problem
Visual Understanding
- see hidden patterns
PERSONALITY
People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
- Analytical Thinking
- Integrity
- Attention to Detail
- Cooperation
- Achievement/Effort
- Dependability
TECHNOLOGY
You might use software like this on the job:
Spreadsheet software
- Microsoft Excel
Presentation software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
Analytical or scientific software
- Insightful S-PLUS
- MDS Analytical Technologies GenePix Pro
EDUCATION

- bachelor's degree
- doctoral degree
JOB OUTLOOK

New job opportunities are likely in the future.

$68,970

$40,360
$124,660