What Are Some Career Opportunities in
Food Science?
Food science programs in the United
States mainly evolved from dairy manufacturing (science)
programs. The discipline emerged to including not only dairy
science, but also meat science, cereal science, seafood
science, and the study of fruit and vegetable products.
The food industry is one of the largest
manufacturing industries in the United States, employing
about 2 million people with an additional 14 million being
employed in other food-related fields. Based on the dollar
value of products shipped, the food processing industry
is the largest in the United States contributing more than
$350 billion to the gross national product. The enormous
size of the industry and its need for professional scientists
make it possible to find a wide variety of satisfying careers.
The food industry is growing steadily
as the consumer demands for convenient, safe and nutritious
food/beverages increase. This growth is evident by the 70,000
new food products that were introduced in the 1980s and
the more than 170,000 new food products predicated to be
introduced between 1990 and 2000. This increase in consumer
demands for greater varieties of nutritious and convenience
foods of uniformly high quality along with an increased
emphasis on food safety and the use of new energy- and cost
efficient technologies in the processing of foods are creating
many varied career opportunities in the food and allied
industries.
Employment with a Bachelor degree in
Food Science includes positions with food and allied industries,
government and independent research institutions. Employment
can be found with companies that manufacture retail food
products as well as companies supporting food manufactures
by supplying food ingredients, processing equipment and
packaging materials, or providing services related to institutional
feeding. Technical and administrative position are also
available in various government agencies and with independent
testing laboratories. Food science graduates hold teaching,
research and extension positions with colleges and universities.
Governmental agencies employ food scientists whose work
is directed towards research, regulatory control and the
development of food standards.
The role of the food scientist in such
positions may involve management, process supervision, production
and process development, quality control/quality assurance,
technical services and sales, procurement, distribution,
marketing, advertising, merchandising, public health and
regulatory service, basic and applied research, consulting,
government food inspection, trade association activities,
and promotional and educational services.
University of Kentucky food scientists
have found employment throughout the United States and in
several other countries.
WHAT ARE SALARIES LIKE? Because
of the constant need for qualified food scientists, salaries
are generally equal to or higher than those of other professions
requiring equivalent levels of education. From a recent
survey of Food Scientists with a B.S. degree, mean annual
salaries were $54,000. Mean starting salaries were $32,000.
