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Food Scientists and Technologists

  • Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources

Tasks

What tasks do Food Scientists and Technologists perform?

  • 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.


Knowledge

What do Food Scientists and Technologists need to know?

  • Food Production

    Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

  • Biology

    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

  • Chemistry

    Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.


Skills

What skills do Food Scientists and Technologists need?

  • Reading Comprehension

    Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

  • Active Listening

    Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

  • Writing

    Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.



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Data on career profiles are based on information supplied by the O*NET Program, sponsored by U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration.