Food treatment: Food technologists work on existing and newly discovered ingredients and technologies to invent recipes

Does the process of making biscuits, exotic breads, chocolates, cakes, and pizzas excite you? Or are you interested in the packaging, production, quality control, and other aspects of food production? If yes, then food technology is the ideal field for you.

It is a field that has witnessed major advancements in the recent years. Today’s frenetic pace has ushered in the era of ‘convenience food’ or more popularly the ready-to-eat food packets. The demand for packaged and processed food is at an all time high and hence, food technology is the career of the future. In fact, there is a whole new genre of packaged foods, which have come into existence — Knorr/Maggi soups, dosa, idli and gulab jamun mixes. And there is a growing demand for processed foods that are safe and nutritious. Thus, prospects of food technology seem really bright.

What do i have to do?

Food technologists work on existing and newly discovered ingredients and technologies to invent new recipes as well as modify foods through creations such as fat-free products or ready-to-eat meals.

They are also involved in conducting experiments and designing the processes and machinery for making products with a consistent flavour, colour and texture. This has to be done within a strict and ever changing regulatory framework of the treatment of foodstuff. The work of the food technologists also involves building good working relationships with suppliers and customers.

Food technologists are expected to deal with processed foods such as bakery and confectionery products, dairy products, poultry products like meat and fish, fruit and vegetable products, etc. Their job essentially involves processing and packaging food to prolong their edible life.

What should I study?

Admission for undergraduate courses in food technology, food science and home science is open for candidates with physics, chemistry and maths, or physics, chemistry and biology combination in their Plus Two. For the postgraduate courses, one has to be a graduate in food technology, chemical technology, chemistry, agricultural sciences, dairy technology or dairy sciences.

It is an interdisciplinary course involving the application of the principles of chemistry, physics, biology, microbiology, biotechnology, engineering and other disciplines of science for the preservation, processing and handling of food materials. It equips you not only with the knowledge of processing foodstuffs, but also storage, research and quality control as well.

What next?

The new liberalisation policy has encouraged foreign investment in this sector. Tourism and exports have also contributed significantly to the development of this sector.

Job prospects for food technologists are numerous in industries like confectionaries, hotels, and other catering establishments, hospitals, packaging industries, etc.

Some of the major employers include companies like Nestle, Britannia, Pepsi, Cadbury, as well as milk co-operative organisations like Amul.

The food processing industry also has attractive openings at managerial levels for professionals from varied fields. For example, industrial production managers are required to control the operation of the manufacturing plants. Marketing and sales personnel are required for sales promotion and marketing.

Food research laboratories also offer openings for scientists in the food sciences to conduct experiments to help improve the yields, appearance, flavour, nutritive value and general acceptability of the packaged foods and develop alternatives from different food sources.

You could also start your own home catering service and delivery networks. The packaging and distribution of home-made condiments, pickles and sauces are the other avenues of self-employment. The sudden spurt in biotechnology also provides an added advantage to food technology.

where to study

• Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal.
• University of Mumbai, M.G. Road Fort, Mumbai.
• The Central Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore.
• Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, College of Agriculture, Killkulam, Tirunelveli.
• Jadavpur University, Calcutta.