Occupational Employment Statistics
19-1012 Food Scientists and Technologists
Use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences to study the principles underlying the processing and deterioration of foods; analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein; discover new food sources; research ways to make processed foods safe, palatable, and healthful; and apply food science knowledge to determine best ways to process, package, preserve, store, and distribute food.
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Southeast Minnesota
| 90 | 18 | $40.19/hr | $21.87/hr | $29.87/hr | $37.33/hr | $49.11/hr | $60.04/hr |
| Manufacturing | 240 | $32.06/hr |
| Trade, Transportation and Utilities | 10 | $45.10/hr |
| Professional and Business Services | 460 | $47.49/hr |
| Education and Health Services | N/A | N/A |
| Public Administration | N/A | N/A |
- Stay up to date on new regulations and current events regarding food science by reviewing scientific literature.
- Confer with process engineers, plant operators, flavor experts, and packaging and marketing specialists to resolve problems in product development.
- Develop new or improved ways of preserving, processing, packaging, storing, and delivering foods, using knowledge of chemistry, microbiology, and other sciences.
- Check raw ingredients for maturity or stability for processing, and finished products for safety, quality, and nutritional value.
- Inspect food processing areas to ensure compliance with government regulations and standards for sanitation, safety, quality, and waste management.
- Confer with process engineers, plant operators, flavor experts, and packaging and marketing specialists to resolve problems in product development.
- Study methods to improve aspects of foods, such as chemical composition, flavor, color, texture, nutritional value, and convenience.
- Evaluate food processing and storage operations and assist in the development of quality assurance programs for such operations.
- Develop new food items for production, based on consumer feedback.
- Inspect food processing areas to ensure compliance with government regulations and standards for sanitation, safety, quality, and waste management.