 Food science is a discipline concerned with all the technical aspects of food, beginning with
harvesting or slaughtering, and ending with its cooking and consumption. It is
considered as a branch of the agricultural sciences, and is usually distinct
from the field of nutrition. Examples of the activities of food scientists
include the development of new food products, design of processes to produce these
foods, choice of packaging materials, shelf-life studies, and sensory
evaluation of the product with trained expert panels or potential consumers, as
well as microbiological and chemical testing. Food scientists at universities
may study more fundamental phenomena that are directly linked to the production
of particular food product and its properties. Food science is in fact a highly
interdisciplinary applied science. It incorporates concepts from many different
fields including microbiology, chemical eng-ineering, biochemistry, and many
others.
Some Sub-disciplines of
food science are :
l Food safety or food microbiology - the
causes and prevention of food borne illness.
l Food preservation - the causes and
prevention of quality degradation.
l Food engineering - the industrial
processes used to manufacture food.
l Product development - the invention of new
food products.
l Sensory analysis - the study of how food
is perceived by the consumer’s senses.
l Food chemistry - the molecular composition
of food and the involvement of these molecules in chemical reactions.
l Food packaging - the study of how food is
packaged to preserve the food after it has been processed.
l Molecular gastronomy - the application of
science to culinary practice and more generally gastronomical phenomena.
l Food Technology - the technological
aspects.
Next to breath, life of
human being is solely dependent on food and health, and hence the importance of
food science and technology in keeping us healthy can never be overlooked. The
fast paced life of today has ushered in the era of convenience food or more
popularly the fast food culture in our country. On one hand this has led to the
growing demand for packed and processed food and on the other it has made the
consumer more quality and nutrition conscious. All these factors pose a very
encouraging picture on the future of Food Processing Industry (FPI) in India.
The food processing industry encompasses basic foods like wheat and rice
products and the processes for converting them into edible form; besides
processed foods such as bakery & confectionery products, dairy products,
meat and fish products, fruit and vegetable products in short, everything which
is processed and packaged to enhance and prolong the edible shelf life. This
technology has indeed revolutionized the food habits of the people in our
country by having cooked and packed foods in attractive packages in their
homes. In fact these foods have become a status symbol for many households in
the country.
Institutions and
Eligibility for Education
Many universities in
India now offer degree courses in food science and food technology. There are
also institutes offering post-graduate courses in specialized aspects of food
processing, such as Post Harvest Technology (PHT). Candidates with Physics,
Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) or Physics, Chemistry and Biology (PCB) or
Agriculture at 10+2 level can opt for under graduate courses in food science
and technology and home science etc. However, for seeking admission to M.Sc.
(Food Science/Food technology), an eligibility criterion is B.Sc. (Food
Science/Food Technology as one of the major courses studied during under
graduate degree programme).
Some Institutes and
courses
S.No. Name
of the courses offered Name of
the Institute/University
1. B.Sc. with Food Technology University of Delhi, Delhi 110007
2. B.Sc. with Food Technology Manipur University, Imphal 795003
3. B.Sc.
with Food & Nutrition Dr.
Babasabeb Ambedkar Marathawada University,
Aurangabad
431004
4. B.Sc. with Food
technology Mahatma Gandhi
University, Priyadarshini Hills PO, Kottayam 686560
5. B.Sc. with Food and Nutrition Kakatiya University, Warangal 506009
6.
B.Sc. with Food and Nutrition University of Calcutta, Calcutta
700073
7. Diploma
Course Food Analysis and Quality University of Mysore, Crawford Hall,
Mysore 570005
Assurance/Food Science Technology
8. B.Sc. with Food
Preservation University of
Madras, Madras 600005
9. B.Sc. with Food Technology Manipur University, Imphal 795003
10. B.Tech.
(Food Engineering) Chitrakoot
Gramodaya Vishwavidyalaya, Distt. Satna
485331
11. B.Tech. (Food
Engineering) Jadavpur
University (after B.Sc.), Calcutta 700032
12. B.Tech. (Food Engineering) Kanpur University, Kanpur 208024
(UP) (M.Tech. is also
available)
13. B.Tech. (Food Technology) Harcourt Batlar Technology Institute
(HBTI), Kanpur 208002
14. B. Sc. Tech (after B.Sc.) Nagpur University, Nagpur 440001
15. B. Sc. Tech (after B.Sc.) University of Bombay, Fort, Mumbai
400032
16. M.Sc.
Tech (Food Tech. & University
of Bombay, Fort, Mumbai 400032
Fermentation Tech.)
17. M.Sc. (Food Science) Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
530003 (A.P.)
18. M.Sc. Food Technology Govind Ballabh Pant University of
Agriculture and Technology,
Pantnagar 263 145 (Uttarakhand)
19. M.Sc. (Food and Nutrition) Govind Ballabh Pant University of
Agriculture and Technology,
Pantnagar 26 3145 (Uttarakhand)
20. M.Sc.
(Food & Fermentation Guru
Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005 (Punjab)
Technology and Food Sc.)
21. M.Sc. (Food and
Nutrition) Tamil Nadu
Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641003
22. M.Sc.
(Food and Nutrition) University
of Agricultural Sciences, Krishinagar,
Dharwad
580005
23. M.Sc. (Food and
Nutrition), University of
Mysore, Mysore
24. Food
Science Preservation/Management SNDT
Women’s University, 1, Nathibai Thackersay
and Food Sc. Technology Road,
Mumbai 400020
25. Food Science Preservation/Management University of Madras, Centenary of
Madras, Centenary
and Food Science & Technology Buildings, Chepauk, Chennai 600005
26. M.Sc. Food Technology Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar
27. M.Sc.
Food Science & Technology Institute
of Applied Sciences, Ch. Charan Singh
University,
Meerut 200005
28. M.Sc. Food Technology Central Food Technological Research
Institute (CFTRI),
Mysore
570013
29. Broad Areas of Short-term Central Food Technological Research
Institute (CFTRI),
Courses such as : Mysore 570013
l Analysis and
quality standards
l Technology
of fruit and vegetable
products
l Post-harvest
handling of fresh fruits and
vegetables
l Technology
of meat and fish products
l Infestation
control and pesticides
l Wheat
milling and baking technology
l Microbiological
quality control of foods
l Rice
technology
l Food
packaging
l Confectionery
technology
l Production
of secondary metabolites
through
cell and tissue culture
l Food
processing equipment
l Storage
of food grains
l Food
flavours and spices
l Instrumental
methods of food analysis
l Processing
of oilseeds for value addition
l Processing
and analysis of spices and
spice products
l Quality
Management System (ISO
9000-related) for food industries
l Food
biotechnology
30. M.Sc. (Post Harvest Technology) Indian Agricultural Research
Institute, New Delhi
110012
Food Processing Industry
is a very fast growing industry with good job prospects in India and abroad.
Processed and preserved foodstuffs have been instrumental in brining about a
change in the food habits of a large urban populace. From eating merely for
subsistence, people now prefer to supplement their diet with ‘value-added
food’. Increase in consumption of processed foods is noticeable across various
sections of the population and the trend of ‘eating out’ has grown manifold. In
tune with theses trends, the market for processed food is growing
significantly. As per the latest estimate it is an interesting fact, that “The
food industry is the fifth largest industry in the country. Currently, it
generates employment for about 20 lakhs people and will generate new jobs to
extent of 2.5 lakhs every year. Further in many advanced nations, it is the
largest industry”. Obviously, with such growth on the anvil, investment and
restructuring are required in processing, retailing and for setting up
cooperatives. This tool is also widely used for streamlining the agricultural
sector, which in turn enhances growth of the food technology industry. Food
production, procurement, processing, distribution networks and retailing are
attracting large integrated players into the field. With the open market
policies of the government and globalization, this industry has also attracted
multinational participation. It is a thrust area recognized by the government
as well. Needless to say, the industry is now offering tremendous job
opportunities to qualified food technologists.
There is a
plethora of opportunities for food technologists, mainly in institutions like
processing industries, hotels, food industries, quality control, hospitals,
packaging industries, distilleries, bakery industries, soft drink factories,
product design, pharmaceutical industry, biochemical engineering, spice, cereal
and rice mills etc.
It is estimated that the
ratio of various types of jobs available in today’s scenario in the country are
as :
1. Factory production : 60%;
2. Research & Development (R&D) : 15%;
3. Government laboratories : 3%;
4. Teaching : 2%;
5. Other jobs : 20%.
Remuneration
Today being a food
scientist and technologist is all about success and quick career growth. To
start as a fresher/trainee after an under graduate degree course in food
science and technology, one can earn a salary ranging from Rs.10, 000/ to
Rs.18, 000 per month. However, a master degree holder can get a salary in the
range of 15, 000/ to 25, 000 per month depending upon the personal skills and
caliber. In the present scenario, the fact is that the stepping-in of
multi-national companies (MNCs) has further increased job prospects and
lucrative salary packages in this industry. Even the Government of India is
giving some subsidy and providing loans through nationalized banks to encourage
entrepreneurship programmes, which work out to be an easy route to set-up their
own business for the well qualified food scientists and technologists. As a food
science technologist gains some expertise in the field, sky is the limit for
him/her as far as remunerations and other benefits are concerned.
[The first author is a
M.Sc. student (Food Science & Technology), Institute of Applied Sciences,
Ch. Charan Singh University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh and second author is an
Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary and
Animal Sciences, GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar,
Uttarakhand]
Author:
— Ms Monika Mahalwar and Dr. Anshu Rahal | 
