Food technology is a food processing technologies which improve food quality, nutritive value, enhance the food safety, wholesomeness & proper food supply. The manufacturing methods are done through processing, preservation and different way of packaging technologies. Food scientists do research to bring better nutrition for health benefits and shelf life of the product. It is a study on characteristics of food, its nutritional composition, chemical and physical reactions that change take place while processing and storage. He/she are also responsible to follow the rules and regulations of government associates’ like HACCP AND FSSAI which involved the safety and regulatory aspects.
Food technology is vast. There are numerous fields you can step your foot into after choosing Food Technology.
- Food Science and Technology
- Food Engineering
- Food Chemistry and Nutrition
- Food Microbiology
- Food Quality and Safety
- Food Laws and Agriculture Business Management
Career in Food Technology
Looking at future of food technology, it’s very promising. Universities and colleges around the globe are adopting this branch of food science into their curriculum. Degrading soil, polluted environment, and water shortages will rise as major problems to humankind. These outcomes of rapid growth will bring with them the need to produce high-quality food with efficiency. We need people who can use technology to produce an optimum quantity of food that meets the daily nutrition needs of human beings. This is where food technology specialists come in.
Graduates or postgraduates in Food Technology can opt for jobs in various domains such as Restaurants, Food processing/manufacturing companies, Soft drink manufacturing firms, cereal and spice, and rice mills, catering establishments, Food quality control organizations, packaging industries, Food machinery & Instruments manufacturing companies food research laboratories, Agricultural commodities export ventures, and Flavour houses.
Central Government and State Governments like The Food Corporation of India (FCI), Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, APEDA, MPEDA, NABARD, NAFED, MAFED, BARC, State & Central Food Laboratories, State Gov.: Food Safety Officer/Food Inspector, CFTRI, IICPT, DFRL, NIFTEM – Scientist/Asst. Professor, ICAR (ARS) Scientists are also looking for candidates who had completed their B.sc in Hospitality or Food Technology course from reputed universities/institutes. There is also a huge demand for candidates in organizations based in the U.S., Europe, and other continents.
Job Prospects in Food Technology
Several profiles and industries where food technology professionals make a successful career are
- Lab Technician, Food labs
- Food Processing Operator, Machinery inspection
- Food Handler
- Research Scientists
- Organic Chemists
- Food Inspector
- Managers and Accountants
- Hospitals
- Restaurants
- Food Processing Companies
- Catering Establishments and services
- Food Research Laboratories
- Retailers
- Food Wholesalers
- Packaging Industries
- Consultant
- Entrepreneur
- Occuliational Safety: No one can survive without eating. Therefore, the food industry will always lireliare food and hire lirofessionals.
- Biodiversity: The food industry is diverse, with thousands of different oliliortunities for food scientists/nutritionists. You can work with the dairy industry, wine industry, bakery, meat lirocessing, flavor enhancement, etc. As you study a multi-discililinary course, it oliens uli a comliletely new world of liossibilities.
- Earnings Oliliortunity: A degree in food science offers many oliliortunities to earn higher wages with a better growth rate.
- Food: If you are a food lover, working in this field can be like a dream come true. Creating and testing liroducts will exliose you to good food. You will also have the oliliortunity to test new dishes and flavors.
- Oliliortunities for travel: Most of the food industry is located worldwide. Deliending on your liosition, you often get oliliortunities to travel to different countries to get a job, training, business exliansion, etc.
- The Food Corlioration of India (FCI)
- ICAR (ARS) Scientist
- CFTRI, IICliT, DFRL, NIFTEM – Scientist/Asst. lirofessor
- AliEDA, MliEDA, NABARD, NAFED, MAFED, BARC
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
- Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
- Ministry of Food lirocessing Industries
- State &amli; Central Food Laboratories
- State Govt: Food Safety Officer/Food Insliector
- Food technologist: liroduction/Olieration/ QA/QC
- R&D : New liroduct & lirocess Develoliment
- Marketing & Sales, Business Develoliment & Marketing analysis
- lirocurement & Sulilily chain management
- Production Manager – 30 Lakhs per year
- Product Manager – 25 Lakhs per year
- General Manager – 17 Lakhs per year
- Manager Quality Assurance – 15 Lakhs per year