Career in food technology is full of possibilities. Food is the basic need for all living things so its industry is one of the largest industries in the world. In such a huge industry the demand of qualified professionals is always present. Food Science and technology is a branch of science only. In this subject the students learn about the biological and chemical nature of food and other edible items. The subject gives the knowledge on manufacturing of edible items, their preservation and distribution.
In recent years the demand of preserved food has increased. Earlier people used to cook and eat but now packed food items are more in demand. Many people have to depend packed food item and many used them once in a while. Overall a new food market is developing which has lots of possibilities to grow. You can get entry in this sector after graduation in food and science technology. In this article we will discuss about the career in food technology in detail. So, lets’ start with the basics and understand what Food technology is;
What is Food Science & Technology?
Food science and technology is a ranch of applied science. The subject offers deep knowledge of food, its physical, chemical and biological components. In food technology the students learn about the complete process of food manufacturing, processing its preservation and distribution. The components of food and their effects on body is also a part of the Food technology and science’ s syllabus.
In Food Science the optimization of agriculture output is observed. The food scientist check the qualities of the corps and find out the ways to increase the quantity and quality of grains and corps. The subject gives information about the blend of all the components of food items. The process of food making from raw ingredients to edible form is explored from science’s overview. Food technology helps the food procession industry to work on new tastes and increase the shelf value of their items.
Students can enrol in B. Sc Food Science and technology or B. Tech/BE in Food science to have their career in this field. The demand of qualifies Food science expert is high in ready to food market. The subject has detailed information about food preservation and chemical processes that increase the life of edible.
The food technology and science involves from the most initial phase of food making like harvesting the corps and butchering the animals. The scope of food technology is not limited up to the packed food for human. It also required in animal food. For soldiers and the people who are mainly depend on packed and ready to eat food, the food science and technology has to make some innovative changes. The challenge for the industry is to have good shelf life for the packed food in less use of chemicals. To conclude the Food technology and science, we can say, “It is the science that improve the food quality.”
Career in Food Technology and Science
The world is getting smaller as we ate coming closer to the people from other countries and cultures. When two different kind of culture meets the first thing they exchange is food and eating habits. Indians reached to many countries and explore their food. Many food chains also open their tranches in India and the effect of it is seen in our eating habits. We love to have burgers, pizzas, ice-creams and other different kinds of food we were not in our menu earlier. Many professionals and students who are far from their home, look for the ready to eat items. Overall we have a huge change in our eating habits and we have given a huge market to the processed food sector.
In India noodles, burgers and pizza have become common edibles and this kind of food manufacturing companies need people that can run their manufacturing and other operations. To remain in present competitive market the companies need to launch different kind of packed food products with longer shelf life. For this also they need food scientist.
Now look at a different sector where the demand of food scientist is increasing rapidly. The health sector needs professional and qualified people that can help in the long preservation of vitamins, fibre and other components of food. The protein and other heath supplements’ market has huge demand which will only increase in future. In this sector also the demand of food scientists is high. A food scientist has to ensure that the harvested food grain has all the components and it matches the standard quality. The quality check of the raw material is a must and it is done under the supervision of food scientist. Once the raw material clears the QC round, it send for further processing. Considering the demand of customers and growth in FMCG sector, India will need more food scientists and technologist. If we look at global prospective then also the food sector is showing high growth chart so the demand of food scientist and technologist will not go down soon. Food technology is comparatively a new branch of science. It offers a career with many opportunities. Working in a FMCG company is a different kind of experience. If you want to have a career in this field then you must complete your education in food and technology. Let’s check out what are the courses available for the aspirants and how can they enrol in them.
Educational Requirements to be a Food Engineer
Food engineer or food technologist is an unconventional career option. Not many people have heard about it so to have career in this field, you will have to take career guidance from a professional. We have already discussed the possibilities in this field and you must agree with us that it will not going to slow down in soon.
As we have already mentioned above that food science is a branch of science so it is expected that students must have the knowledge of physics, chemistry and Biology. Aspirants can get admission in B. Sc in Food science or in B. Tech in Food science and technology based on their stream in 12th. Those who have PCM in 12th standard can pick the B. Tech in food technology option and other students can go for B. Sc in food science and technology. The syllabus of both of the courses will be slightly different. The duration of degree course in food science and technology is 3 years for B. Sc and 4 years for B. Tech.
To get a job in a private company the aspirants will have to complete their graduation. The post-graduation in this subject offers more knowledge and high salary. Those who want to teach others the same subject, must have completed Masters or Ph. D in food science. The food scientist also need to be updated about the government’s rule related to food processing. They will have to make the required changes in their products according to the government advisory. You can also do a diploma in food technology to be a nutrition but for full time job you will have to enrol in a degree course.
In food industry you will get the post in QC or QA department to check and ensure the quality of food. In India the R&D work in food technology is not much but as the sector is growing so food manufacturing companies are investing in research and development department as well. SO in future you can shift in R&D department of food processing unit. After B. Sc you can be a food scientist and B. Tech in Food science and technology, you can pick the career option of food technologist.
Top Colleges in Food Technology in India
Here have a look at the list of colleges that offer quality education in food technology. You can visit their website to get more information about the course and admission procedure;
- Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI)
- Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT)
- National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM)
- Food and Drug Toxicology Research Centre (FDTRC)
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI)
- Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR)
- Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI)
- National Institute of Nutrition (NIN)
- International Life Sciences Institute – India (ILSI)
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, SNDT Women’s University
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Pondicherry University
- IISER – Pune
- National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI)
- B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology
- Centre for Food Science & Technology, Sambalpur University
- Agricultural & Food Engineering Department, IIT Kharagpur
- Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering & Technology (CIPHET)
- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI)
- Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR)
- School of Health Sciences, University of Calicut
- Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE)
- CCS Haryana Agriculture University
- Dept. of Food Process Engineering, SRM University
The Best Course in Food Technology; B.Sc or B.Tech?
As we have mentioned in the article that the students can enter in food sector through following two courses; B.Sc in Food Science and B. Tech in Food technology. The student must be confused in making a choice between these two.
Both of the courses sound similar but their curriculum and career options are different. B.Sc is a 3 years UG course and B. Tech duration is 4 years. To get admission in B. Tech the students will have to clear the engineering entrance exam whereas admission in B. sc can be done on the basis of merit. The home science students can pick B. Sc but to get admission in B. tech the students must have qualified 12th with PCM.
After B. Sc in Food science the students get the job food safety officer, food analyst and after B Tech in same the students will get the post of QA, QC, food technologist etc. the salary for both of the specialisation is also different. After graduation in B. Sc with food science, the aspirants’ salary start from 3 LPA. After B. tech the salary of the candidtes starts from 4-5 LPA.
The Bottom Line
We are living is a time when unemployment is high. So we are to look for the different careers where the demand of the professionals is higher than the supply. Food technology can be one of that. The article has everything related to the career in food technology. If still you need some professional help in career guidance, you can write to us.
