Food scientist

As a food scientist, you'll:

• develop new recipes and improve existing products
•  provide accurate nutritional information for food labelling
•  test samples to make sure they meet safety and quality standards
•  design production processes to be more efficient
•  research different ways to combine ingredients, textures and flavours
•  investigate and fix problems, like customer complaints or quality issues

• knowledge of food production methods
• knowledge of chemistry including the safe use and disposal of chemicals
• knowledge of biology
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with others
• analytical thinking skills
• maths knowledge
• excellent verbal communication skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role

You could work for a variety of organisations involved in the development and safety of food and drink products, including:

• food manufacturers and supermarkets
•  government and university research establishments
•  local authorities

With experience, you could become a senior development technologist or scientist, project leader or departmental manager.

You might improve your career prospects by applying for Registered Scientist (RSci) or Chartered Scientist (CSci) status through the Institute of Food Science and Technology.

You could also move into related areas, like agricultural research, toxicology or nutritional science.