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.
As the stewards of the field, food scientists study the physical, microbiological, and chemical makeup of food. By applying their findings, they are responsible for developing the safe, nutritious foods and innovative packaging that line supermarket shelves everywhere.
Generally in Nigeria one can get a Food Science and Technology degree from any of several universities who offer this as a 5 year course. There is a background work in engineering related fields.
What Does a Food Scientist do?
Concerned with the chemical process of producing, preserbing and making food better a food scientist can do a whole lot of things related to the food production, packaging and distribution industry. A food scientist conducts research, does clinical trials, inspects food and can be also heavily involved in creating better food preservatives. The work of a Food Scientist is far reaching and thus very important in today’s fast paced world where it is more important than ever for the citizens to have safe, well preserved, nutritious and affordable food.
Careers for Food Scientists and Technologists
Food Scientists can work in various parts of the economy but most especially agro-allied industries, food processing/production, and research organisations. As a Nigerian graduate of Food Science and Technology here are a few careers open for pursuit; Check out http://rtgpkg.com/ilpra-fill-sealers/ for more information.
Research Technician – In agricultural research organisations, Food and Agro-allied firms to handle food related research work
Quality Assurance Supervisor – Monitor and check quality in food manufacturing and preservation processes in Commercial Farms, Agro allied industries, Food Processing and Packaging Companies, Government food and Health Monitoring Agencies (eg NAFDAC)
Nutrition Scientist – Conduct tests and implement best standards in Food processing/packaging industries, Hotels, Restaurants/Fast Food Chains, Government Health Agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations with focus on nutrition and hunger/malnutrition elimination
Nutrition Consultants – Can work as private consultants on diet and nutrition with a client base of mid to top level earners, or work as nutrition consultant in hospitals, NGOs etc
Food Science Lecturer – You also might choose to pursue a career in education teaching food science and technology courses to students in higher institutions. You would however be needing a hgher degree to accomplish this.
Product Developer – If you knack for developing new food products and are creative enough this could be a rewarding career path. Many food processing and manufacturing companies continue to churn out new food seasoning products, new snacks, noodles, and packaged food items. You can work in the product department of conglomerates like Nestle Plc who produce fast moving edible consumer goods and products and are always on the lookout to develop new market penetrating food products.
Sectors and Industries Where You Can Work 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
As a Food Science Graduate you are limited by only your imagination and your ability to take a proactive step in building your career.
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This is Great…..
Wow…..rili wanna go for dis course
I love dis course nd i’ll lyk to study it…so i wrote eng,biology,chemistry,nd physic in Jamb,bt i’ve no biology in my waec bt i ve agric…so cn i change d bio with agri…cn it b possible?
YES YOU CAN CHANGE AGRIC IN PLACE OF BIOLOGY
Wow! Wot a great course. I made d ryt choice anyway
I made d rite choice
Wow!!what a good course I’ve chosen
I am so lucky to have chosen this course, it is actually a good course.
God’s grace in thi geeat course is all i ask of…..it’s the best
My God is good to me. I have made the greatest choice in studying Food Science and Technology. it earn me an employment in the hospital.
What exactly are u working as in d hospital as a fst graduate?
Dietician… I guess
AM HAPPY AND PROUD TO BE A FOOD SCIENTIST
Dad my course….. Am so proud to be a food scientist. .. Dough I job yet
bravoo bros
thanks god for making me a student of this dept
hie Abidemi , interesting comment . please ,where can i study food science ,apart from unilorin and roughly how much is the tuition
u can also study it in KWARA STATE UNIVERSITY
bells university,afe babalola university,covenant
PROUDLY FOOD SCIENTIST. This course made me self employed.
I’m in love with this course but my challenge is that I have to write math in JAMB
Joy u dnt nid 2 wrt math. U can writ physic.. Dats wat i wrote.. Physic. Chem bio n eng. Luckily for me n by God grace I got d course.
Am proud to be a food genius.
I have this confident in me that as soon I reaches my 400l,the world will hear about my new innovation from the same food.
Well, I didn’t write Maths, I wrote Physics, Chemistry, English and Agric.
Also, I want to ask if I can combine my waec and neco for that course without having Agric science in both results…
Yes, you can study the course without agric, but u must have biology instead.
so happy dat i made the right choice still studing
So happy you did too
that is my course of study, foodscience and technology enables us to know how to process,packaging and preservation of different foods..it s a nice course..sm proud to be one of d family …we are enriched family !No food, no life….
I WAS FORCED TO CHOOSE DIS COURSE BT AM HAPPY WITH WAT HV SEEN ND RED HERE THANK U JESUS
Am also confused on what to go for either nursing or food science and technology. Pls guys help me out,which one has the greatest job opportunity.
Greatest NAFST Student, am proud to be a food scientist.
Waoh! Wot a great course i choose so i can work as a nafdac officer
Wel its gud bt still nt my kind of course
Greatest NAFSTS… Engineering food for humanity
God bless the soul that post this write up. I waz given the course and I wanted to change the course, but after reading this post…………. My sticking with this course and make the best out of it. Thanks to you Poster! God bless you real Good
tnx God am a food technologist.
Waw i tink i av seen my cours of study
i had that the course is interesting and also job opportunites
when I was given dis course I cried Co’s isn’t my dream course it’s like I’m now inlove wit d course. Thank u Jesus
This is great, am so proud to be a Food Scientist
Proud to be a food technologist. We make food our medicine. If u are in this field of study, I assure u that you are in the right place.
GREAT NAFST, GREAT.
May God lead us to a greater height.
Amen.
Wow it nice for me becoming a food technolog istthere for am great.
Am proud to be a food technologist.
Wow! With this write up,I think I made the right choice,wanted to do change of course but am happy now(thank you sir and God bless)
Gr8 NAFST
knowledge,food and progress
i xo much love my course
Wow! A great choice av made
i wish i could be one……..food scientiest
Tank u very much. This write up has really helped.m very happy. M definitely going to choose food science and technology
I love dis course so much but have been i different ways by my sisters nd they said that if you done have money u can`t study it.
I am happy to be a graduate of food science and technology since I read this course my life have never remain the same
I don’t know how I will feel if don’t read this great course……………thank Go am a food technologist?
foodscience n technology makes u know you are dealing with lifes of peoplr n the course is really great cos it surprise people who call us cooks wen u explain about the course to them they just say really n end with wow…I like my course it’s sweet n cool..the prayer is for good jobs to come..
Thnks alot… Proudly NAFSTSITE
what a nice career am in to.
……proudly a food scientist
been ignorant of this great course, I wrote eng.math.ecoms and agric, I choose agric business as a college. nt been specific of my course,can I still make it to dis course?
Im greateful to God for choosing FST as a course of study and HE made it possible for me to be a graduate of d same course.
I take d pleasure time to thank God for allowing me pasue degree FST.I want believe that oneday i will get job and do best i could…
sooooooooo much proud if this course.
up d way feel so blessed by it also
great write up, i studied food science and tech, just thru wif my NYSC, hoping 2 find a place 2 practice my profession prior 2 establishing ma self
I really love this course, I wanna go for it
But I wrote English physics chemistry and biology in jamb I didn’t write agriculture….. Whts my chance of getting admitted with it in UNIZIK
that wt am stdng in unimaid f.s.t
Thank u God, i had wanted 2 Change this course but thank GOD its great. Happy family
I just got an admission to sturdy this course. Uni cal
in love with this course…. I’m gonna go for it
Is the no 1 lucrative course in d world bcos
No food no life
Thank God I am about starting this beautiful course.
Wow so great for choosing FST
I didn’t make biology in the UTME can Istill study the course???n wat oda uuniversity offers the course apart from UI?
Unizik,Futo,Uniport,RSUST….proudly food scientist!!!
what a nice course!
Wow!! Really Flabbergasted. Does Unijos Offer This Course?
Wow!! Even though people under narrate d course, hmmm but am jus proud of it, #AM PROUD BEEN A FOOD SCIENTIST#..GRET #NIFS#
Tnx 4 dis great course info.i wrote Eng.maths chem.agric.how is the combination?
Hmmm I am beginning to love this course. But I’m contemplating which one would be better off between Food science & technology and Nursing. In terms of salary, job opportunity, self employing, satisfying and any other aspect.
for everyone of you that thinks the course is being studied only in universities, I think the best institutions for the course is polytechnic, and why is that? it’s because of its practical aspects that is involved…. I’m proud to be a food scientists and technology student….. a product of Laspotech…. proudly Laspotians
Guy please wahh are the course in FST?
Am so glad for being an FST graduate. Pls how can I register with the professional body.
I really fell in love wit fst i pray that let my admission come’s true so dat i will read de course ooh…..
so greatful for the write up.happy to be a food scientist.
I made the right choice
Thank God dat i made de rite chioce
Can someone really get money from this food technology
The course is a very nice course but will it be useful in dis country. Who will give u job in this country witout connection.the only good thing yhere is that as a degree holder u can teach food and nut in schools but thinking of working in nafdac is not easy… I LIE….
Don’t think of roaming the streets for job “NO” but with this course you can start by being self dependent…..
And what do i mean? First try to open a sharwarma spot for a start & definitely you will see yourself making it to the top from there you become a big time manager in a Big fast food or restaurant
Fst is a great course, datz if u study it vry well and u know wat u re doing in it.
Trust me, d sky will be ur limit.
I WAS GIVEN FOOD SC. & TECH. TO STUDY
PLZ HW DO I MAKE LYK U PEOPLE SO DAT I LL VE MY OWN TESTIMONY
WAT ND WAT IS REQUIRED OF ME TO DO TO MAKE IT?
WHAT RE THEIR JOBS AFTER GRADUATION OR WHAT IS D COURSE ALL ABOUT?
PLZ I NEED AN ANSWER.
MY NO-09023636434,08059957346
I Love the course but hope it doesn’t goes deep into engineering..
i want 2 do d course but, am confuse. will you work under somebody
I am certainly and most assuredly in love with Food Science & Technology, i am a second year student in Botswana University of Agriculture & Natural Resource and by the way having done this course you’re already an entrepreneur, an employer, peoples’s jobs are in your hands all you need is to be innovative & work wonders within the field of FST
Am really in love with this course, I pray that God grants me Admission to the University of my choice
Thank God I made a right choice by been a food doctor FST for ever
think I have choose a good course, I can now pray and hope for admission
I got 176 in jamb playing can I get food science and technology in any uni
It’s really a very good course buh don’t know yyy it’s not among the top professional courses in the world or maybe in Nigeria…no food.. No life.. I’m going for it but I was told if u want to be at the top after studying this course.. U should do ur PhD and masters abroad… U will go far. Worldwide…i was advised so
I am so thankful to God who had helped me to choose this field.
I have a year to round up and indeed its a wonderful profession.
I never have of the course while looking for admission. I apply for civil engineering but I was give food science and tech.thank for making me a food scientists bcos we are the future doctors. great fstarian. great.
Great…And proud to be a food scienter
I’ve been in luv wit this course, even though I was discouraged by many,I still applied for it n I pray I’ll get admission n study did gr8 course.
CAN’T WAIT 2 B A GRADUATE IN FST cuz notin givz me joy lyk it.
Dear frndz,don’t be discouraged 4rm studying it!
I luv dis couse nd i will lyk to study it…i wrote physics,eng,bio nd chemistry in Jamb,bt i ve no bio in my waec,so cn i change d bio with agri,cn it b possible?
pls where can i study dis course,i was force to go nd read dis post but nw as am reading dis post i was interested in it
i got176 in jamb
Glory be to God because i have already choosen the filed and i will be proud one time to find that i have got a job either as a product developer or a nutrition scientist
Pls help me out between food science and technology nd nursing wich one z profitable nd there z great job opportunity cuz am veri confused.
I graduated dis year I wanted to go for FST but my dad opposed d idea after making so much research on d course and aspiring nd dreaming to be a food scienctist n dats what makes me unique among my pals.what should i do ??? cause am in love with ds course
indeed the course is wonderful, i must confess. am proud to be a food scientist. its not all about money. but passion. i love you all food scientist
Pls wat are d courses u offer in food technology department
proudly food scientist I’m proud of my course.
Pls wats de meaning of de course food technology