Food Science and Technology - What You Should Know

A lot of uncertainty has often trailed fresh graduates who read food Science and Technology. Most imagine that since it is a field less known and not so lucrative in this part of the world, the future would always look bleak and uninspiring. Well, that may be true. Why? Because what is obtainable in most advanced part of the world can, in most cases, be obtained here as well. It would only require you to think outside the box and most importantly, adapt whatever idea it is you have to local demands. That's right, local demands!

Bearing in mind the plausible nature of my audience including individuals not in the field, let's run a quick explanation on what food Science and Technology is all about.

Food Science and Technology is a discipline that draws from several other fields of study such as microbiology, chemical engineering and nutrition. It is essentially the combined study of science and engineering to process, evaluate, package and distribute food. It is an attempt to better understand food processes and ultimately improve food products for the general public. Food Scientists basically engage in various research to come up with best methods to preserve our food and save us resources.

Monumental results of their effort is the multitudinous packaged consumables we find in every supermarkets and grocery stores today. Don't say wow just yet. Because as far as I'm concerned, I'm still sounding pretty abstract. Let's throw that ball at something we can all relate to, shall we?

Supposing you are a palm wine tapper, and overtime you discovered that your palm wine gets sour and distasteful after just a short time - say after 2-3 days. Now, you need your palm wine to stay good and healthy for consumption longer than it is. You start making concerted efforts to see your desire come to fruition. After careful study of the nutritional information in your palm wine, and trying a couple of tricks. One finally works. Yes, one has worked! Now your palm wine stays for months, retaining its fresh and satisfying taste. That's a major breakthrough on your part in preserving that particular food. There you are. Food Scientists and Technologists do just that.

You may be inclined to ask, "how does this translate into a well paid and fulfilling career for me?" that is, if you're a Food Scientist. Here's where you can work and how you can carve a niche for yourself.

If you're the type that has an uncanny knack for carefully looking into things and analyzing them, then working as a researcher for agro-based companies is exactly where you fit. Your work in a nutshell would be conducting wide research for them and making your findings coming to bear on their products.

Or if what you like is testing things. Well, testing food products for quality and standards won't be bad. There, you can be a Nutrition Scientist.

You may decide to even man the classroom. That is, if you have flair for teaching. Teaching related courses in higher institutions just as you were taught won't be a bad one either. Pursuing a career in lecturing, though, would mean going a bit further than what you have as a degree.

Now, maybe you don't like working for anyone. A lot of people don't like working for other people as well. There’s still something for you! Why don't you work hard at producing chemicals that preserves food. Preservatives they call them. This may take years of hard work and painstaking research. But once you make a headway, trust me, it'd be well worth it.

You may even want to set up a consulting firm for yourself. Where you'd have to be consulted on such subjects as foods, diet and nutrition.

As a Food Scientist, there are a host of places, businesses, non-profit organisations and government agencies where you can find useful career opportunities as a Food Scientist. They include;
Hospitals
Bakeries
FMCG Companies/Conglomerates
Confectionaries
Farms
Food Processing Companies
Fishing/Food Preservation Companies
Food Processing Units of Hotels, Catering Companies and Fast Foods
Government Food Related Health Agencies (eg NAFDAC)
Local and International NGOs on Food, Malnutrition etc
Beverage Production Companies

Who says your career need be boring if you don't want it to?