Food Technologists

Students may be able to arrange field trips to local food processing plants and plan interviews with or lectures by experts in the field. Apart from an interest in science, and especially chemistry, prospective food technologists may also develop interests in cooking and in inventing their own recipes.

Because of the educational requirements for food technologists, it is not likely that students will be able to acquire actual experience while still in high school. Part-time and summer employment as workers in food processing plants, however, would provide an excellent overview of the industry. More advanced college students may have opportunities for jobs helping out in research laboratories.

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) provides a variety of useful career exploration resources on its Web site, https://www.ift.org/career-development/learn-about-food-science, including information on career paths in food science and food safety and quality assurance; nutrition, labeling, and packaging; and other topics.

Visit https://www.ift.org/news-and-publications/podcasts to listen to the podcasts Omnivore and IFT Sci Dish, which are available from the IFT. The institute also offers the "Brain Food" blog (https://www.ift.org/news-and-publications/blog).

Participate in summer exploration programs in food science, food chemistry, health and nutrition, and other fields that are offered by colleges and universities to build your skills and meet people with shared interests.