Currently Empty: $0
FOOD TECHNOLOGY | Scope of Food Technology
What is Food Technology?
Food technology or in short Food Tech. is a branch of science which deals with various techniques involved in the process of Handling, Processing, Manufacturing, Preservation, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Research, and New Food Product Development, Packaging, and use of safe food. Food Tech is a multidisciplinary course that involves study about Nutrition, Chemistry, and the Science of Food. Food tech is employed in food manufacturing sectors and they are associated with the health of consumers and nutrition of food
When you are choosing Food Technology you come across two choices:
B.Tech in Food Tech – It is a 4-year course engineering program that trains students in the technical concepts of Food process engineering, Food Analysis, and Regulations, Crop Processing Technology, Plant and Animal Biotechnology
B.Sc Food tech– It is a 3-year course which teaches students about Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Basic Sciences involved in Food Processing/ Packing/ Manufacturing.
Specializations in Food Technology
Food technology has few specializations like beverages, fruits and vegetables, cereals, pulses, oils and oilseed processing, dairy, meat and poultry, and bakery & confectionery. It also involves food plant designing, various equipment used in processing, safety, and regulatory aspects of the developed food products, inspection, and accreditation of food plant, etc
The most important thing we study in Food Technology is how to preserve food and how to increase the shelf life of food.
Is Food Technology in demand?
Yes, Food Technology is in high demand. We human beings can’t imagine our life without food, like shelter, clothes, healthcare, and education; food is also a basic necessity for humankind. It is the Food Technologists who are responsible for the safe and nutritious food along with good packaging. They allow us to make the best use of food resources and minimize waste of resources. Every sector needs a trained food professional whether it is a private or government sector.
Food Tech demand is growing rapidly due to urbanization and change in the lifestyle of humans worldwide. There is a growing market demand for more advancements and sophistication in the field of food technology.
The world is moving towards the packaged foods and instant food which takes very little time for their preparation, so here the demand for food technology arises. We need people who can use technology to produce an optimum quantity of food that meets the daily nutrition demand of human beings. This is where food technologists come in.
Scope of Food Technology
Scope of Food Technology can be seen in listed job opportunities. The future of food technology is obviously very promising. Degrading soil, polluted environment, and water shortages will rise as major problems to humankind. These outcomes of rapid growth will bring with them the opportunities of producing high-quality foods with efficiency. So we need food specialists that increase the of Food Technology scope.
Scope of Food Technology can be seen in listed job opportunities
-
Lab technician
-
Quality control
-
Quality Assurance
-
Production Control
-
Food inspector
-
Food scientists
-
Managers
-
R & D officers
-
Machinery operators
-
Entrepreneur
-
Food Plant Operation Maintenance
-
R&D: New Product & Process Development
-
Teaching
-
Marketing & Sales
-
Procurement & Supply Chain Management
-
Food Research Laboratories
-
Food Quality & Certification Organizations
-
Food Packaging Companies
-
Food Machinery & Instruments
-
Flavor houses
-
Agricultural Commodities Export Ventures
-
Many more
There are job opportunities in different government regulatory bodies like BIS, FSSAI, FFRC, NABARD, FCI, DFRL, WHO, NIN, ICMR, etc. There are different MNC’s like Nestle, Cadbury, PepsiCo, and ITC, etc.
Currently, most of the food companies are run on a small scale by unskilled workers. Due to their limited knowledge about the various reactions in food like chemical, enzymatic, or microbiological they are not able to keep the quality of the food. In the future, due to forced regulation of FSSAI, each and every food industry will have to employ at least one food technologist.
Is food technology a good career?
Yes, food technology is a very good career option. As food is a very important part of our life, that’s why food technology is becoming a boon to humankind. The food industry is one of the largest in the world. Food is essential for the survival of human beings. Hence, Food Technology will also be a recession-proof career.
Five reasons why food technology is a good career:-
-
Job Security – Nobody Can Survive Without Eating Food. Therefore, Food Industries Will Always Keep Processing Food And Hiring Professionals.
-
Diverse Environment – As Food Industry Is Diverse, With Literally Thousands Of Different Opportunities For A Food Scientist/ Food Technologists. You Can Work With A Milk Processing Industry, A Winery, Bakery Industry, Meat Processing, Flavour Development, Etc. As You Study Multidisciplinary Subjects, It Opens Up A Myriad Of Opportunities.
-
Salary Opportunities – A Degree In Food Science Offers Many Opportunities To Earn Top-Salaries With A Good Growth Rate.
-
The Food – If You Are Food Lover, Then, Working In This Industry Would Be Like A Dream Come True. Creating And Testing Products Will Expose You To Good Food. You Will Also Get An Opportunity To Explore New Dishes And Flavours.
-
Travel Opportunities – Most Of The Food Industries Are Global. Depending On Your Position, You Often Get Opportunities To Travel To Different Countries For Work, Training, Business Expansion, Etc.
Future scope of Food Technology in India
Today, several career options are available in India. One can opt for various food technology courses for a bright career. The food processing industry is rapidly growing in India and several employment opportunities are available in various industries. In India, the food processing industry is gaining momentum as the consumer food industry, which includes pasta, breads, cakes, pastries, and corn flakes, ready to eat and ready to cook products, beverages, and packet water are in trend.
Here are many reasons listed that tells us how Food Technology Scope in India is very good:-
1. Growing population – the population of India is increasing day by day. So to feed each person, India needs people who are skilled in handling, processing, and producing safe, hygienic, and nutritious foods.
2. Change in lifestyle – rise in per capita income, consumer awareness, and demand for nutritious food is driving the demand for processed food in India.
3. Milk & Dairy Products – India is the largest producer of milk. Due to this, the dairy sector has a lot of potential for the employment of dairy and food technologists.
4. Fruits and Vegetables – India is the 2nd largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. The government is expecting the growth of this sector by the end of 2025. The increment in the processing sector is directly indicating the growth in the expected demand for agriculture and food technologists.
5. Meat and poultry – India is a huge producer of buffalo meat, goat meat, and eggs. There is a huge demand for meat in India as well as abroad and food technologists are going to play a significant role in providing safe and hygienic meat-based products to consumers.
6. Grain processing – India produces more than 200 million tonnes of different food grains every year. Now again this indicates tremendous opportunities for someone who wants to pursue a course in food technology.
7. Employment – food processing sector has generated a lot of opportunities and employment for a lot of individuals. According to MOFPI, by 2024, the food processing sector is expected to employ 9 million people in India directly or indirectly.
8. Climatic conditions – India has diverse climatic and favorable geographic conditions that favor the growth of the food processing sector. India is one of the few countries all over the world that produces several different fruits, vegetables, all major crops, milk, milk products, meat, fisheries, sugars and etc.
9. Entry of international company – India is fast emerging as a sourcing hub of processed food. Danone, Nestle, Kraft Foods, Mondelez international, Heinz are some of the major international players in the food processing market in India.
10. Rise in demand for Indian products in the international market – Various Indian companies like Haldirams and Bikanervala have their presence in many countries, whereby they provide Indian snacks. Amul is a major exporter of milk products in Asia.
Difference between Food Technology and food science
What is food science – Food science can be defined by the application of basic science and engineering to study the fundamental physical, chemical, and biochemical nature of food and the principles of food processing.
What is food technology – Food technology is the use of information generated by food science in the selection, preservation, processing, packaging, and distribution as it affects the consumption of safe, nutritious, and wholesome food.
This clearly tells us the Food Technology and Food Science differences.
Activities of food scientists:
-
Food Microbiology
-
Food Chemistry
-
Food Engineering
-
Food Scientists May Study More Fundamental Phenomena That Are Directly Linked To The Production Of Food Products And Its Properties.
Activities of food technologists:
-
Development Of New Food Products
-
Design Of Processes To Produce These Foods
-
Choice Of Packaging Materials
-
Shelf Life Studies
-
Sensory Evaluation Of Food Products
Scope of food scientists
-
Research and development departments of all food companies like nestle, Britannia, Cadbury, PepsiCo, etc.
-
All government universities under ICAR, CSIR, CFTRI, etc. as research scientists.
-
Government regulatory bodies like BIS, FSSAI, WHO, NIN, ICMR, etc.
-
All government and private universities as professors, involved in teaching as well as research.
CONCLUSION
Food technology is all about harvesting units to selling units. It is related to all new inventions and technologies in foods. Day by day demand for packaged foods is increasing due to changes in human lifestyle. Everyone is now conscious about their health and physique, so there is a huge demand for safe, hygienic, and nutritious food. And this type of food can only be researched and developed by food technologists or food scientists. India has very large opportunities for the growth of food technologists. Hence, food technology is emerging as a very good career.
Also, Check more interesting topics in our Student Section.
0
