Food Science: “Is that a real science?”

I’m looking forward to a new semester beginning in a few weeks. This time I’ll be teaching the Biology of Food. This course focuses on the biological principles applied to the nature of food, its production, and use in the human body. I’m excited about this course because it will give me the chance to introduce non food science students to potential careers in food science.

I think many people take their food for granted. They don’t think twice about how their food is made and the people behind it. Food for many of us, is simply something that comes off a supermarket shelf. One of my students told me recently that he finds himself often having to explain to relatives and friends what his major is all about. One of them in fact asked him, “Is that a real science?”. I’m not surprised. I still get the quizzical or blank stare sometimes when I tell people I am a food scientist.

Is it a real science? Oh yes it is. Just take a look at the courses required in a typical food science major and you’ll see. It includes general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, physics, biochemistry, microbiology, food engineering, statistics, and even calculus. It is heavily science-based and very rigorous because food scientists have to take a scientific approach in solving critical food processing problems. For example, how do they make sure that whole milk keep in the refrigerator for a week or more without spoiling? They do this by figuring out how long and what temperature to pasteurize the milk to destroy harmful pathogens. They also know the right temperature and time to store the finished product to prevent or reduce the growth of spoilage organisms. This is not guess-work, but a careful study of the type of microorganisms present, their characteristics and resistance to heat.

Do you put jam on your bread? How is it made to the right texture so that it spreads perfectly? To achieve this requires an understanding of the chemical nature of ingredients such as pectin, food acid, water, and sugar, and the precise proportions in which they need to be combined. Furthermore, cooking time and temperature must be right. Otherwise the product may be too runny, too hard, too dark, or too grainy.

Making products that meet customer expectations such as safety, nutrition, taste and convenience requires a lot of science and critical thinking.

One of the amazing facts about food science is that it incorporates all the major sciences (chemistry, biology and physics). This could definitely be a pull for students who enjoy taking science classes. We just need to get more of them aware of it. Perhaps the lack of awareness about food science among students is partly due to the same lack of awareness among parents. This is not surprising since some studies have shown that parents play a major role in influencing their kids in one career direction or the other. Hence, you will find more students in high school saying that they want to become an engineer, physician, nurse, lawyer, pilot, teacher, or any one of those well-known career fields. You will not often hear them saying “I am going to become a food scientist”.

I think as food science instructors, professors, professionals, and individuals who are knowledgeable about food science, we could do a lot more to boost awareness. One of the initiatives I started this summer is the creation of a food science internship. Top high school students in Western Ohio worked with me for eight full days on food science projects in my lab. The focus this summer was the development of new value-added products from snap beans. We had a great time. The students loved it. They were able to make two excellent products, i.e., snap bean waffles and a snap bean chip-dip. At the end of the internship they each received a certificate and $250 stipend. The top product development team received a special trophy based on sensory evaluation of their product. At the end, they were all excited about going back to their schools to share what they did. Hopefully this will create a buzz in the local school districts that will get more students interested in food science.

This internship program shows promise. I think it will take innovative experiential learning approaches like this to expose students to careers in food science. As we communicate food science opportunities, let’s make students know that there are lots of jobs available with a food science degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top six states that employ food scientists are California, New Jersey, Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin and Ohio. Therefore if you are living in one of these states the opportunities are huge. The mean pay for food scientists as of May 2017 according to the Bureau is $63, 660 with the majority of food scientists being employed in food manufacturing (15%), followed by colleges and universities (12%), research (10%), government (8) and consulting services (8). Growth in the job market for food scientists is expected to be 7% between now and 2026. This is about the same as the average of all occupations in the US. One other thing you should let students know is that the jobs that open in this field may not necessarily carry the title of “food scientist” but may include any one of several alternate titles requiring a degree in food science. These include food technologist, ingredient specialist, food chemist, food microbiologist, food inspector, quality control manager, food safety specialist, operations manager, product development specialist, and research scientist. All of these professionals work to make sure that we have a food supply that is efficient, safe, healthy, convenient and tasty.

What are you doing to increase awareness about food science among college and high school students? Please share what’s working for you or what you think we should do.