Career Details :: Food Science Technicians
Description
Perform standardized qualitative and quantitative tests to determine physical or chemical properties of food or beverage products.
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a drywall installer might benefit from experience installing drywall, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be an installer with little difficulty.
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.
Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.
Tasks
- Conducts standardized tests on food, beverages, additives, and preservatives to ensure compliance to standards for factors such as color, texture, nutrients, and coloring.
- Tastes or smells food or beverages to ensure flavor meets specifications or to select samples with specific characteristics.
- Computes moisture or salt content, percentage of ingredients, formulas, or other product factors, using mathematical and chemical procedures.
- Mixes, blends, or cultivates ingredients to make reagents or to manufacture food or beverage products.
- Prepares slides and incubates slides with cell cultures.
- Orders supplies to maintain inventory in laboratory or in storage facility of food or beverage processing plant.
- Measures, tests, and weighs bottles, cans, and other containers to ensure hardness, strength, and dimensions meet specifications.
- Cleans and sterilizes laboratory equipment.
- Records and compiles test results and prepares graphs, charts, and reports.
- Examines chemical and biological samples to identify cell structure, bacteria, or extraneous material, using microscope.
- Analyzes test results to classify product, or compares results with standard tables.
Related Careers
- Biochemists
- Chemical Technicians
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
- Microbiologists
- Soil Scientists
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Getting Information Needed to Do the Job
- Analyzing Data or Information
- Judging Qualities of Things, Service, People
- Handling and Moving Objects
Important Skills
Frequent Work Context
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Importance of Being Sure All Is Done
- Indoors
- Consequence of Error
- Degree of Automation
Related Majors
| Major | Add to XapPack |
|---|---|
| Agricultural Engineering Technology |  [ add ] |
| Carpentry | [ add ] |
| Environmental/Occupational Health/Safety | [ add ] |
| Fire/Occupational Technology | [ add ] |
| Food Science | [ add ] |
| Food Science/Technology | [ add ] |
| Industrial Health/Safety | [ add ] |
| Nutrition/Food/Agriculture | [ add ] |
| Occupational Health/Safety Management | [ add ] |
| Occupational Hygiene/Safety | [ add ] |
| Occupational Safety/Health Management | [ add ] |
| Occupational Safety/Hygiene | [ add ] |
| Occupational Safety/Hygiene Management | [ add ] |
| Safety Sciences | [ add ] |
| Safety Technology | [ add ] |
| Safety/Environmental Engineering Technology | [ add ] |
| Safety/Environmental Management | [ add ] |
Institutions Offering Related Majors
No institutions found.