Aug 11
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Many of us take for granted the fact that we will have the safe food and water that we need to survive. We also take for granted the fact that it will be safe for consumption. Little do we know, there is much more that goes on behind the scenes than just simple growing, preparation, packaging, and cooking. There are strict guidelines to follow and scientists involved every step of the way.
Food science is the study of every aspect of food. It covers every step – from the harvesting and slaughtering to the cooking and consumption of food. It is classified as a life science, and scientists specializing in food science study microbiology, chemical engineering, and biochemistry, among others. They are responsible for the best way to grow crops, raising animals, preserving our food, and even the way we eat our food.
Food science majors can get jobs in many different places. Some of them include laboratories, pet food manufacturers, supermarkets, and food ingredient suppliers.
Let’s take a look at just some of the jobs that food scientists are responsible for.
- Food Safety
The area of food safety is concerned with the causes of and the prevention of foodborne illnesses. They study the best ways to handle, store, and prepare food to prevent foodborne illness, such as E. Coli and Salmonella. Important and meticulous routines must be followed to ensure that people do not fall ill due to food poisoning.
- Food Preservation
Many foods today are stored to prevent them from going bad, or spoiling. Food preservation is the study of the treatment and handling of food to stop or slow food spoilage. Food spoiling is usually caused by micro-organisms. Sometimes yeasts and benign bacteria is used to preserve foods such as cheese and wine. Methods of preservation include drying, freezing, pickling, vacuum packing, smoking, and canning.
- Food Packaging
Food packaging is just that – packaging for food. Scientists dealing with food packaging are aware of the special physical, biological and chemical needs of different foods that are packaged. Tamper resistant packages are necessary to ensure that no one is able to contaminate the food. The food is also required to have any nutrition information and ingredients on the package. Other uses of food packaging include marketing strategies, portion control, and convenience.
Other areas of food science involve food microbiology, food engineering, sensory analysis, and product development.