Food Science: Now What?
Food Science…NOW WHAT?
Quick Facts:Agricultural and Food Scientists Agricultural and food scientists research ways to improve the efficiency and safety of agricultural establishments and products. | |
| 2024 MedianPay | $78,770 per year $37.87 per hour |
| Typical Entry-Level Education | Bachelor’s degree |
| Work Experience in a RelatedOccupation | None |
| On-the-job Training | None |
| Number of Jobs, 2023 | 37,200 |
| Job Outlook, 2023-33 | 8% (Faster than average) |
| Employment Change, 2023-33 | 2900 |
[Source: Dept. of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook]
What is Food Science?
Food science is the real-life application of chemistry, chemical engineering, microbiology, nutrition, physics, statistics, and law to the production, processing, preservation, evaluation, and distribution of food. Food scientists want to understand food processes to ultimately improve food products and processes for the general public along with the assurance of food safety and quality. They do this by developing high standards of quality and safety, new methods of manufacture, preservation, and storage of foods, new products, and new packaging materials/methods.
The basis of the discipline lies in an understanding of the chemistry of food components, such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats and water and the reactions they undergo during processing and storage. A complete understanding of processing and preservation methods is required including drying, freezing, pasteurization, canning, irradiation, extrusion, to name just a few. The ability to carry out analysis of food constituents is developed along with statistical quality control methods. The microbiology and the safety aspects of food must also be understood. Other topics covered include food additives, the physico-chemical properties of food, flavor chemistry, product development, food engineering and packaging.
What do food scientists do?
Applying additional concepts from animal science, nutrition, physics, statistics, and law, food scientists study the physical, microbiological, and chemical makeup of food, and are responsible for developing safe, nutritious, and abundant foods using cost effective methods. Agricultural and food scientists research ways to improve the efficiency and safety of agricultural establishments and products. They improve the quality, safety, storage and taste of our food. They may work for private industry to develop new products or improve processing. They may also work for government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration to inspect food products and handlers to protect us from contamination or harmful practices. Food scientists test products to supply information used for the nutrition labels or to determine how packaging and storage affects the safety and quality of the food. Flavorists work with chemicals to change the taste of food, improve sensory appeal, by enhancing color, odor or texture.
Work Environment
Agricultural and food scientists work in laboratories, in offices, and in the field. Agricultural and food scientists typically work full time. Fieldwork includes visits to farms or processing plants.
How to Become an Agricultural or Food Scientist
Agricultural and food scientists need at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited postsecondary institution, although many get advanced degrees.
Where Could I Do an Internship? UMass Amherst Food Science students have held internships at these sites:
- Agrimark
- Analytical Testing Laboratory (Belmont)
- Bay State Milling
- Bigelow Tea
- Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods
- Clover Food Lab
- ConAgra Foods
- Dunkin’ Brands
- FoodState Inc.
- HP Hood
- Ken’s Foods
- Kraft Heinz
- Lindt USA
- Motif FoodWorks
- Nestle
- Nestle Purina
- Ocean Spray
- SharkNinja
- Sweetgreen
- Town of Westwood, MA
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
- University of Nebraska
- US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Selection of Employers for recent (Class of 2023-2025) UMass Amherst Food Science alumni:
- Allen Flavors Inc.
- Anheuser-Busch
- Berkshire Brewing Company
- Beyond Meat
- Boston Beer Company
- Bove’s
- Chew
- Circe Bioscience
- Costa Fruit & Produce
- Diluigi Foods
- Dr. Pepper
- Dunkin' Brands
- Finlays
- Gerber
- Harbar LLC
- Harvard Bioscience
- Home Market Foods
- HP Hood LLC
- Kraft Heinz Company
- Lactalis American Group
- Lindt Chocolate (USA), Inc.
- LSG Sky Chefs
- Melville Candy Corporation
- Motif FoodWorks
- Northeast Apple Company
- Ocean Spray
- Perkin Elmer
- SharkNinja
- Symrise
- Table Talk Pie
- Tribe Hummus, Nestlé
- UL Solutions
- Valley Shepherd Creamery
- Vermont Creamery
- Welch’s
- Wildtype Seafood
Who Else Could I Work For?
Major Employers in Food Science:
- Alaska General Seafoods
- Archer Daniels Midland
- Campbell Soup Co.
- Cargill Inc.
- Con Agra
- Dannon
- Dole Foods Co.
- FDA
- General Mills Inc.
- Gorton’s
- Hershey Foods
- Hormel Foods
- Idahoan Foods
- Kellogg Co.
- Mars Inc.
- McCain Foods
- McCormick Spices
- Nabisco, Inc.
- National Food Processors Association
- Nestle
- Odwalla
- PepsiCo, Inc.
- Proctor & Gamble
- Quaker Oats Co.
- Sara Lee Corp.
- Tyson Foods Inc.
- Unilever
- USDA
- Welch’s
Career Planning Resources & Websites
UMass Amherst CNS Career Center cns.umass.edu/careers
UMass Career Exploration Tools www.umass.edu/careers/career-journey/self-discovery
UMass Food Science Club https://www.foodsci.umass.edu/about/
Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
O-NET (search Food Scientists) www.onetonline.org
Massachusetts Career Information System http://masscis.intocareers.org
(Click Mass Resident to login with “Amherst/01003” Then click “Occupations” or “Assessments”)
Career Paths/Salaries in Food Science (Penn State) http://foodscience.psu.edu/majors/careers
Careers in Food Science (UC Davis) https://foodscience.ucdavis.edu
Institute of Food Technologists Career Planning https://careers.ift.org/jobseekers/resources/career-planning/
Food Science Job Boards
Internships and Research Opportunities
UMass Handshake Database https://umass.joinhandshake.com/
Office of Undergraduate Research and Studies (OURS) www.umass.edu/ours
Mass Life Sciences Internship Program www.masslifesciences.com/programs
IFT Career Learning Center https://careers.ift.org/jobseekers/internships/
Careers in Food Science
UMass Handshake Database https://umass.joinhandshake.com/
American Chemical Society www.acs.org/content/acs/en/careers.html
AOAC International (agricultural chemistry) https://www.aoac.org/
American Society for Microbiology: Career Connections www.asmcareerconnections.org
Cereals & Grains Association https://careers.cerealsgrains.org/
Careers In Food www.careersinfood.com
Food Force https://forcebrands.com/jobs
Food Service / Food System Jobs https://www.goodfoodjobs.com/search
Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) https://careers.ift.org/jobs/
Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotech http://careers.simbhq.org
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) jobs https://www.fda.gov/
US Dept of Agriculture (USDA) jobs https://www.usajobs.gov/Search/Results?d=AG
General Science Jobs
Life Science Jobs www.masslifesciences.com/resources
Science Careers (widely defined) http://jobs.sciencecareers.org
NewScientist Jobs (widely defined) http://jobs.newscientist.com
Science Journal www.sciencemag.org/careers
Food Science Professional Organizations [may also have links to jobs]
American Assoc of Candy Technologists https://www.aactcandy.org/
American Baking Society https://asbe.org/start-your-education/
American Chemical Society (ACS) www.acs.org
American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) www.adsa.org
American Meat Science Association (AMSA) www.meatscience.org
American Society of Microbiology (ASM) www.asm.org
AOAC International (agricultural chemists) www.aoac.org
Cereals & Grains Association https://www.cerealsgrains.org/
Good Food Institute https://gfi.org/
Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) www.iit.edu/ifsh
Institute of Food Safety and Technology (IFST) www.ifst.org
Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) www.ift.org
IFT Student Association (IFTSA) https://www.ift.org/community/students
International Assoc of Food Protection https://www.foodprotection.org/
Intl Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) www.iufost.org
USDA list of additional professional organizations http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/professional
What are some of the job titles in food science?
Food Research and Development Scientist
| Food Ingredient Technical Sales
Food Engineer
|
Quality Assurance Director
| Food Molecular Biologist
|
Food Plant Production Manager
| Food Quality and Microbiology
|
More Job Titles in Food Science:
Important Transferable Skills to Include on Your Resume
Analytical/Problem-solving skills. Food scientists must be able to conduct scientific experiments and analyses with accuracy and precision and use scientific experiments and analysis to find solutions to complex scientific problems.
Communication skills. Communication skills are critical for food scientists. They must explain their studies: what they were trying to learn, the methods they used, what they found, and what they think the implications of their findings are. They must also communicate well when working with others, including technicians and student assistants.
Speaking skills. Frequently give presentations and must be able to explain their research to others. Writing skills. Write memos, reports, and research papers that explain their findings.
Critical-thinking skills. Agricultural and food scientists must use their expertise to determine the best way to answer a specific research question.
Data-analysis skills. Agricultural and food scientists, like other researchers, collect data using a variety of methods, including quantitative surveys. They must then apply standard data analysis techniques to understand the data and get the answers to the questions they are studying.
Interpersonal skills. Typically work on research teams and need to be able to work well with others toward a common goal. Many also serve as team leaders and must be able to motivate and direct other team members.
Math skills. Agricultural and food scientists regularly use complex equations and formulas in their work, and they need a broad understanding of mathematics, including calculus and statistics.
Observational skills. Agricultural and food scientists conduct experiments that require precise observation of samples and other data. Any mistake could lead to inconclusive or inaccurate results.
Perseverance. Scientific research involves substantial trial and error, and food scientists must not become discouraged.
What Do Employers Look For? (NACE 2025 Job Outlook for Students)
Top 10 Skills Employers Seek on a Candidate’s Resume:
Problem Solving, Teamwork, Written Communication, Taking Initiative, Strong Work Ethic, Technical Skills, Verbal Communication, Flexibility/Adaptability, Analytical/Quantitative, Detail-Oriented
Factors Considered by Employers When Screening Candidates:
Academic Major, Has completed an internship in the industry, Industry experience, Has demonstrated proficiency in competencies, Has completed an internship with the organization, Has held a leadership position, Has been involved in leadership/extracurricular activities, Has held part-time jobs in college to finance education, Has done volunteer work