WHAT IS FOOD SCIENCE?

…And why should you study it?

FOOD SCIENCE

Food science is the study of producing, processing, preparing, evaluating and using food. Food science brings together many different branches of science such as biology, botany, physiology, zoology, and bacteriology, with the focus quite often on organic chemistry and physics.

There are five areas of food science.

1. PRODUCTION

Production- growing produce, creating artificial products (Ex-flavours), and using biotechnology to change plants or animals

2. PROCESSING

Processing- can range from simply washing to packaging. These are the stages between the raw and finished product.

3. PREPARATION

Preparation- any steps that make a food ready to use (Ex- determining cooking time and temperature)

4. EVALUATION

Evaluation- Will a product sell? How can it be changed so it will last longer or be more appealing? It also monitors the quality and safety of products.

5. UTILIZATION

Utilization- What are different ways the product can be used?

Corn- corn oil, corn starch, corn syrup, canned/frozen corn, animal feed, fuel

Soy- tofu, soy milk, clothing, candles, plastics

WHY SHOULD YOU STUDY FOOD SCIENCE??

Personal reason (small scale) Health Benefits- You will be better prepared to choose

foods that will give you the optimal health benefits and understand why these foods are important.

Food Safety- You will learn how to handle food properly, prevent food poisoning, etc

Learn Practical Skills- You will learn ways to better package or store foods, or learn how to prepare food better (Ex: fish and lemon go well because they are an acid and a base)

Career Possibilities- You may learn about jobs that interest you that you may not have heard about otherwise

WHY SHOULD YOU STUDY FOOD SCIENCE CONTINUED…

Social Reasons (larger scale) Increase world’s food supply- better preservation

provides more food (less waste) for growing populations

Public Health and Safety- studying food and food handling helps people to make laws and rules for things such as the shipping and handling of food

Sustainable farming- learn how to keep farms healthy and productive and reduce the impact farming can have upon the environment

Biotechnology – Improving food plants and animals using modern techniques of genetics.

Microbiologist – A food scientist who studies tiny organisms that help produce food or cause spoilage.

R&D Specialist – A food scientist who helps create, modify, and market food products.

Quality Control Specialist – A food scientist who helps determine whether a given food product meets certain standards.