Food Technology Courses, Subjects & Career Scope

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Food Technology Course

Tackling food shortages, supplying healthy and nutritious food, and maintaining the quality of food products is essential. However, with the advent of new technologies, the need for domain-specific experts has increased. This, in turn, has led to the emergence of Food Engineering and Technology courses. There are numerous universities and colleges all around the world that are aiming to provide academic qualifications and extensive training to students who look forward to working in the food sector. Let us delve deeper into various Food Technology courses like BSc food technology BTech Food Technology M.A. in Food Nutrition etc. To understand its concept and explore its scope in the global market.

Credits: VTT

What is Food Technology?

Food Technology is a branch of science that deals with the methods and techniques involved in food production, processing, preservation, packaging, labeling, quality management, and distribution. The concept involves transforming raw materials into edible and nutritious food items. Being a research-oriented field, a wide range of Food Technology courses have now emerged and are being offered by universities and colleges around the world to create professionals for diverse domains like hospitals, catering establishments, restaurants, food processing companies, among others.

Food Technology
Food Technology

Skills Required

Before we delve deep into the courses, let us first understand the professional competencies required. A professional in Food Technology ensures that all the products are produced keeping in mind the safety and quality standards. Moreover, as a Food Technology expert, you are required to be academically sound and highly skilled to develop manufacturing processes and recipes of food and drink products. Below is a list of essential skills for building a career in Food Technology:

  • Interest in Food Science
  • Problem-Solving Ability
  • Excellent Organizational Skills
  • Sound Technical Knowledge
  • Research Skills
  • Scientific & Analytical Reasoning ability
  • Interest in Health and Nutrition
  • Time Management
  • Awareness of the Consumer Market

Eligibility Criteria

  1. You must have completed 10+2 or equivalent in Science stream.
  2. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, or Home Science must be the subjects you choose.
  3. The minimum qualified marks from recognized or accredited institutions are usually 50%-60%.
  4. You must have a BSc (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or Mathematics) or BTech/BE in Food Technology with the minimum qualifying marks to pursue a postgraduate degree.
  5. English Language Proficiency: TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Cambridge English.

Note: These are some basic eligibility conditions and any specific prerequisites can be confirmed on the specific university website.

Food Technology Syllabus and Subjects

Though the subjects and course curriculum varies as per the chosen program as well as degree (Btech, BSc, MTech, MSc, etc.), Food technology courses encompass a detailed study of food processing, preservation, manufacturing, labeling, distribution, quality control, amongst others. The following table elucidates the varied range of subjects you can expect to study in a degree or a diploma in Food Technology:

  • Food Microbiology
  • Enzyme Technology
  • Food Hygiene and Sanitation
  • Nutrition and Health
  • Food Processing
  • Food Plant Layout & Design
  • Laws and Quality Assurance
  • Unit Operations in Food Processing
  • Food and Vegetable Processing Dairy
  • Plant Engineering
  • Seafood and Dairy Technology
  • Applied Food Biotechnology
  • Crop Processing Technology
  • Meat and Poultry Processing Technology
  • Food Additives
  • Confectionary Technology
  • Fermented Milk Products
  • Food Analysis
  • Packaging Technology
  • Product Design & Development

At the master’s level, you will study not only the core subjects in Food Technology courses but will also have to choose an elective or concentration in order to specialize in one domain. Listed below are some of the popular electives:

  • Nutraceuticals
  • Packaging and Related Technology
  • Food Sensory Science
  • Food Technology and Safety​
  • Chemistry of Food Proteins
  • Quality Management
  • Biochemical Engineering
  • Dairy Products and Technology
  • Fabricated and Textured Foods
  • Health Data Analysis
  • Agribusiness Management
  • Flavour Technology

Food Technology Courses

From BSc Food Technology to Dietetics and Nutrition courses, there are a plethora of opportunities from UG to PG level to choose from. Not only restricted to degree courses but there are various diploma and certification Food Technology courses available. Some of them have been tabulated below:

Food Technology Courses after 10th

  • Diploma in Food and Nutrition 
  • Certificate in Food and Nutrition
  • Graduate Diploma in Food Science
  • Graduate Certificate in Food Science

Food Technology Courses after 12th

  • B.sc Food technology
  • Food Science (B.Sc.)
  • Bachelor of Science in Food Processing Technology
  • B.sc Food Science and Quality Control
  • B.sc(Hons.) in Food Technology
  • B.sc(Hons.) in Food Science and Technology
  • B.E. in Food Technology
  • B.E. in Food Technology and Bio-Chemical Engineering
  • BTech Food Technology
  • B.Tech. in Food Science

Masters Level Courses

  • M.A. in Food Nutrition
  • MSc Food Technology
  • M.Sc. in Food Science and Technology
  • M.Sc. in Microbial and Food Technology
  • M.Tech. in Food Technology
  • M.E. in Food Technology
  • M.E. in Processing and Food Engineering
  • MTech in Food Engineering and Technology
  • M.Tech in Food Technology
  • M.Tech in Food and Nutrition
  • MTech in Food Biotechnology
  • PG Diploma in Food Analysis and Quality Control

Doctoral Level Courses

  • Ph.D. in Food Technology
  • Ph.D. in Food Engineering and Technology
  • Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology
  • Ph.D. in Food and Diary Technology
  • Ph.D. in Food Biotechnology
  • Ph.D. in Agriculture and Food security

Top Colleges for Food Technology Courses in India

Here are the top Food Technology colleges in India:

  • National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), Delhi
  • MIT ADT University
  • Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur
  • Indian Institute of Food Technology
  • Laxminarayan Institute of Technology, Nagpur
  • Jamia Hamdard University, Delhi
  • Gautam Buddha University, Delhi
  • Galgotias University, Noida
  • Lovely Professional University, Chandigarh

Top Universities for Food Technology Courses Abroad

Now that you are familiar with the Food Technology courses, let us take a quick look at some of the leading universities offering these programs:

Name of the University Country QS World University Ranking-2023
Cornell University USA 20
National University of
Singapore
Singapore 11
University of Edinburgh UK 15
The University of Melbourne Australia 33
The University of British Columbia Canada 46
University of Wisconsin-Madison USA 83
McGill University Canada 31
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign USA 85
Nanyang Technological University Singapore 19
The University of Sydney Australia 41
The University of Queensland Australia 50
RMIT University Australia 190

Scope of Food Technology

Graduates or postgraduates in Food Technology can opt for jobs in various domains such as restaurants, hospitals, food processing companies, soft drink manufacturing firms, cereal and spice, and rice mills, catering establishments, quality control organizations, packaging industries, and food research laboratories. Moreover, there are specialized career prospects in bioinformatics and biotechnology companies, the pharmaceutical industry, and water conservation as well as research institutes where students can secure their jobs.

Job Profiles & Salary

From managing production to research, you can field jobs based on your interest. Here are the most popular Food Technology jobs with their salary structure:

Job Profiles Salary in INR per annum
Lab Technician  344764
Biochemist 393601
Food Technologist  415320
Production Manager 756910
Home Economist 546790
Credits: PayScale

Top Recruiters

  • Amul
  • Hindustan Unilever Limited
  • Coca-cola
  • Perfetti
  • Nestle
  • MTR Foods
  • Cadbury India
  • Dabur India
  • Agro Tech Foods
  • ITC Limited
  • Britannia

FAQs

What is the use of Food Technology?

In simple terms, Food technology is the application of food science to the processing, packaging, preservation, distribution, quality assurance, and utilization of food products. It is an interdisciplinary specialization that combines different fields such as Engineering, Analytical Chemistry, Biotechnology, Quality Control, Health and Nutrition, and Food Safety Management.

What are the subjects in food technology?

Here is a list of courses: 
-Biochemistry
-Process Engineering
-Food Microbiology
-Food Marketing
-Food Innovation 
-Food Packaging Engineering
-Food Formulation Technology 
-Flood Prevention 
-Food Chemistry
-Industry Research Techniques
-Food Assessment Techniques

Is food technology a good career?

Food Technology is a budding career option for those intrigued by the technicalities of food. One can directly pursue a BTech in this field. After completing the degree, candidates can easily get jobs. 

What are food technology and its scope?

This technology majorly includes various ways to produce, process, prevent, package, label, and maintain the quality of food products. The technologies used to derive a product from raw materials are also a part of the field. 

Is maths compulsory for food technology?

Whether Maths is compulsory or not for Food Technology depends on the university you plan to join. While most of the Indians require candidates to have Maths in their Class 12th.

Thus, Food Technology is rapidly emerging as a vital field of study that focuses on creating innovative advancements for food processing, manufacturing, and production. Let Leverage Edu guide you in choosing the right course that will help you reach great heights in the field of Food Technology. Call us immediately at 1800 57 2000 for a free 30-minute counselling session.

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