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Food scientist Green Job

Food scientists and food technologists develop food and drink products, making sure they are safe to consume.

Annual Salary

£20,000 to £45,000

Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

39 to 41 a week

You could work: evenings; on shifts

2.4%
Future employment

There will be 2.4% more Food scientist jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

As a food scientist, you'll:

  • provide accurate nutritional information for food labelling
  • investigate ways to keep food fresh, safe and attractive
  • find ways to save time and money in food making
  • test the safety and quality of food

As a food technologist, you'll:

  • blend new ingredients to invent and modify recipes
  • conduct experiments and produce sample products
  • design production processes and machinery
  • source, cost and select raw materials
  • investigate and resolve problems, like customer complaints or quality issues

Working environment

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work at a research facility or in a laboratory.

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
University

You'll usually need a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:

  • food science
  • food studies
  • food technology

Employers may also accept other subjects like chemistry or nutrition.

If you have a degree in an unrelated subject, you could study a postgraduate course like food safety or food quality management.

Experience of working in a food science or food development environment, for example through an industrial placement, may improve your career prospects.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course
For more information
Apprenticeship

You may be able to do a food technologist advanced apprenticeship then move on to a food industry technical professional degree apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
For more information
Work

You could start as a food technician or lab assistant with a food manufacturer and study for further qualifications while you work.

More information

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a food scientist from the Institute of Food Science and Technology.

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You could work for a range of organisations involved in researching and developing new products, including:food manufacturers and supermarkets; government and university research establishments; local authorities

You could improve your career prospects by getting Registered Scientist (RSci) or Chartered Scientist (CSci) status through the Institute of Food Science and Technology.

With experience you could become a project leader or manage a department like research and development or quality control. You could also move into fields like chemical engineering, agricultural research, toxicology or nutrition science.

How does this job help to address the impacts of climate change and protect wildlife and nature in the West of England?

Food Scientists may be involved in researching more sustainable food products and production methods

There are several different routes you can take to get into working as a Food Scientist which you can explore further in the 'Routes into this job' section above. 

Click here for an explanation of the different course and apprenticeship levels.

Examples of post-16 courses you could study at local schools or colleges

  • Biology, Chemistry or Environmental Science A-levels
  • Level 3 Applied Science

Click here to find a local provider

Apprenticeships you may be able to take with local employers

  • Level 3 Food Technologist Apprenticeship
  • Level 6 Food Industry Technical Professional Degree Apprenticeship 

Click here to search for a local apprenticeship

Examples of post-18 courses you could study at local higher education providers

Click here to search for other university courses

Local employers 

  • Food manufacturers and producers eg. Yeo Valley, Apetito
  • Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

For more local employment opportunities see the 'Live job vacancies by region' section above.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • knowledge of chemistry including the safe use and disposal of chemicals
  • knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
  • maths knowledge
  • knowledge of biology
  • knowledge of food production methods
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • analytical thinking skills
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • thinking and reasoning skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
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