Food technologist (Levensmiddelentechnoloog)
Information on this skill...
A food technologist is a researcher or scientist who specializes in food technology. Food technology covers the production of food, the composition of food, the quality of food, the storage of food and the general food safety of food. In short, we can say that a food technologist specializes in food and everything that comes with it. This means that a food technologist may also be responsible for coming up with new foods, improving food products, and improving production methods. As a food technologist, you supervise the production process, in which raw materials are processed into food. Within food technology, there are various courses, which can vary from a bachelor's degree to a university study. Food technology is a broad field that can relate to different food technologies and thus may relate to different food technologists. In general, a food technologist is not only responsible for devising or modifying nutrition, as a food technologist may also be responsible for food safety and hygiene. Within food technology there are different directions, such as food chemistry (taste, smell, color), food physics (thickness, foaming, structure), product development and industrial product preparation. In addition, a food technologist may have specialized in food microbiology. Food microbiology covers beneficial bacteria, food spoilage and food safety. Depending on the field, a food technologist can therefore work with food in different ways.
A food technologist is therefore a researcher and/or scientist who is responsible for the composition of food, food safety and the production of food. Food technology refers to all food that undergoes processing. The milk and arable products of farmers are therefore covered by food technology if the products undergo processing within a factory. This is also the case with other products, such as fruit from a fruit grower. What a food technologist does in terms of content can differ per field, because the food technology programme has different directions. For example, a food technologist who examines raw materials or foods within a laboratory at the molecular level does not have to deal with the production process. A process technologist may also be responsible for this. In addition, a food technologist can be responsible for product testing, by setting up test locations, within which new foods are tested by product testers. In addition to developing food products, improving the production process is one of the tasks of a food technologist. An improvement may include, for example, the cheaper production of food or changing the production process, making a product tastier. The profession of food technologist is therefore a broad profession that has different disciplines.
WHAT DOES A FOOD TECHNOLOGIST DO
A food technologist may be responsible for various activities. Think, for example, of researching food for food allergy (peanuts, gluten, milk), developing new drinks, developing new cheese or developing special foods for certain target groups. Think of baby food, food for sick people or food for people who need to lose weight. Another important area of research is research into how food can be kept longer, the application of beneficial bacteria and food safety. In most cases, a food technologist works within a certain product group, such as beverages, meat, dairy, bread or pastries. As a food technologist, you can in most cases also be considered a chemist, because you are dealing with chemical processes. The use of taste panel members can also be part of the work.
AREAS OF FOOD TECHNOLOGY:
- Food chemistry (smell, taste, colour, composition)
- Food physics (structure, thickness, foam)
- Food microbiology (bacteria, food spoilage, food safety)
- Product development and product design
- Procesontwikkeling en procesontwerpen
- Industrial product preparation
- Hygiene and quality systems at food businesses
FOOD TECHNOLOGIST:
TRAINING TO BECOME A FOOD TECHNOLOGIST
If you aspire to a career as a food technologist, it is best to opt for the Bachelor's degree in food technology or the university study food technology. Both courses will take about four years to complete. As a food technologist, there are various directions in which you can specialize, such as food technology and product, food technology and production, food technology and quality and food technology and business. As a food technologist, chemistry, biology and physics can be regarded as important subjects. Which programme suits best is personal and also depends on your previous education. In addition, there are also plenty of external training institutes where you can follow a course. Accounting is also important as an entrepreneur.
COMPANIES WHERE A FOOD TECHNOLOGIST MAY WORK
A food technologist works within the food industry. Think, for example, of factories that make sweets, make bakery products, make soup, make dairy products, potato products, or factories that make meat products. In addition, a food technologist can work for the government. Consider, for example, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. Within the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, various people work in the field of food safety, who can be regarded as inspectors of goods. In addition, a food technologist can work within the agricultural sector. In that case, the name biotechnologist may also apply.
COMPETENCES FOOD TECHNOLOGIST
The competencies of a food technologist can vary per field. In general, we can say that a food technologist is a researcher and must therefore have research skills. General management skills can also apply to this profession, if you manage other employees. In that case, you must also have good communication skills. Generally important words are innovation, analytical, analyzing, collaborating, laws and regulations, planning, organizing, perseverance and quality. As indicated earlier, the competences within this profession are difficult to indicate, because within this profession there are different levels of education, which also influence the competences.
LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS A FOOD TECHNOLOGIST
The labour market perspective of a food technologist is good. The food industry is a large sector, so in most cases obtaining work is not a problem at all. The growth opportunities of a food industry should be seen in obtaining a managerial position. Consider, for example, the position of product manager. As a product manager you are responsible for devising and realizing new products. Another option is the position of regulatory affairs officer.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND SALARY FOOD TECHNOLOGIST
There are no specific examples of the working conditions as a food technologist, because you can work for different types of companies with different collective agreements. A food technologist will typically earn a salary between 3,000 and 5,000 gross per month, depending on age, education and further responsibilities. A higher salary is certainly conceivable within this profession if you have a university education, or if you have a lot of responsibility.
The content on this page has been automatically translated from the Dutch language. For this reason, texts and videos on this page may contain small errors.
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