B.E./B.Tech. Food Processing and Technology course, scope, career and salary details

Last Updated on July 27, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Food Processing and Technology Engineering branch is a promising one. Unlike the core branches of Engineering and other popular branches, Food Processing and Technology is not very popular among students who have passed 12th Science stream. But it is a good branch that offers decent opportunities and career prospects. In this article, we will be analyzing B.E./B.Tech. Food Processing and Technology course. We will cover topics such as- basic course details, important subjects present in B.E./B.Tech. program, scope and job opportunities after Graduation, eligibility criteria and salary details.

Let us start by dealing with basic course details first. Here are some important details about B.E./B.Tech. Food Processing and Technology that you need to know-

B.E./B.Tech. Food Processing and Technology: Basic course details

The B.E./B.Tech. program that we are talking about is an Undergraduate Level Bachelor’s Degree program. The course duration is 4 years. This 4 years’ duration is divided into 8 semesters, with each semester lasting a period of 6 months.

In case of each new semester, new sets of subjects will be introduced. Some subjects may be recurring ones, appearing in more than one semester. Along with theory classes, some subjects will also have practical lab sessions associated with them. In case of first two semesters, common set of Engineering subjects are taught in class. A workshop subject is also present, which is practical based.

Now let us talk about Food Processing and Technology Branch. As the name suggests, this branch is all about Food production, processing, packaging, preservation and the use of technology and Engineering techniques in aiding the above mentioned stages present in the Food Processing Industry.

To make things simple, let us consider an example. Take fruits as an example. Food Processing and Technology deals with various stages such as- growing fruits (use of scientific techniques, chemicals etc), harvesting it (using modern machinery and techniques), its storage, usage of preservatives to prevent it from going bad, processing fruits to make other edible items in processing plants (jams, juice, pulp etc), packaging fruits and products made from them, transporting edible items and fruits from one place to another etc.

So, this branch of Engineering covers number of stages right from production to transportation! Also, this branch has Research and Development area, which deals with topics such as- artificial food, artificial edible items, nutrition science, Chemistry (Chemical Engineering) etc.

Want to know more about the nature of B.E./B.Tech. Food Processing and Technology course? Maybe you should check out the important subjects that are present in this course. The next section will help you out-

B.E./B.Tech. Food Processing and Technology: Important subjects

As mentioned before, in case of first two semesters, common set of Engineering subjects are taught. Workshop class is also present. Here are those subjects-

• Engineering Mathematics
• Engineering Physics
• Engineering Graphics
• Elements of Electrical Engineering
• Elements of Mechanical Engineering
• Elements of Civil Engineering
• Communication Skills
• Basics of Computer Programming
• Environmental Science
• Workshop

From third semester onward, subjects focusing more on Food Processing and Technology field will be introduced. Here are some of those subjects-

• Food Microbiology
• Food Chemistry
• Food Transportation Technology
• Food Processing Technology
• Food Engineering (Thermodynamics)
• Food Biochemistry
• Food Nutrition
• Industrial Microbiology
• Food Equipment
• Technology of Grains
• Formulation of Foods
• Process Instrumentation and Control
• Food Engineering Operations
• Refrigeration and Preservation Technology
• Food Processing Equipment Design
• Food Drying and Dehydration
• Dairy Products and Technology
• Packaging Technology
• Food Quality Assurance
• Storage Engineering
• Fermentation Technology
• Flavor Technology
• Management and Entrepreneurship skills
• Baking and Confectionery Technology

Those were some important subjects present in B.E./B.Tech. Food Processing and Technology program. Some of the above mentioned subjects are recurring ones. Also, elective subjects are also present in case of some semesters.

The last two semesters have project work involved in them. It is evident from the above list of subjects that Food Processing and Technology branch has got elements of- Technology, Biology, Chemistry, Food Science and Nutrition Science.

Now that we have seen the list of important subjects, let us take a look at the eligibility criteria that has to be satisfied be able to pursue B.E./B.Tech. Food Processing and Technology.

Eligibility Criteria

To pursue this course, a student must have passed 12th Science stream schooling with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics subjects from a recognized board. To take part in the professional courses’ admission process, a student must also have appeared for State and/or National level entrance examination.

Courses to pursue after B.E./B.Tech. Food Processing and Technology course

After Graduation, students may go for M.E./M.Tech. program, which lasts 2 years. Going for M.Sc. program is another option that is available in front of Graduates. Using these courses, one may specialize in fields such as- Dairy Technology, Food Packaging, Food Transportation, Food Storage Engineering etc.

Going for management courses such as- M.B.A. and B.M.S. is also something that Graduates may try.

Scope, Salary and Job opportunities after Graduation

Ample amounts of job opportunities are available in front of Graduates in Government as well as Private sectors. Competition for job posts is less, since there are relatively lesser number of Colleges offering this course and thus lesser number of students pursuing it. Thus, landing a good job is relatively easy, when it comes to Food Processing and Technology field.

Talking about Government sector, the Department of Food and Public Distribution is a well known recruiter. Within that Government agency, posts like Food Inspector, Quality Assurance Officers etc are available. State sponsored Food processing plants also are known to hire graduates.

The Private sector chips in with much more opportunities. Private Food Production firms, Processing plants, Storage and Preservation firms etc are known to recruit Graduates. Firms manufacturing Food Processing equipment and machinery also recruit graduates. Average starting salary varies, depending upon the nature of the job (Government, Private or own venture). On an average, it is between 2.5-4 Lakh Rupees per year.

Some well known job posts available in front of B.E./B.Tech. Food Processing and Technology graduates are-

• Food quality Inspector
• Quality Assurance Officer
• Plant Manager
• Food Processing Equipment Designer
• Purchase Manager

Pursuing PG courses will open door that leads to other promising career. For example, doing M.E./M.Tech. program will help one become a Lecturer. Doing PhD program will help one enter the lucrative Research and Development sector associated with Food Processing and Technology field!

Vishnu Nambiar

I am Vishnu Nambiar a career and educational blogger from India. I am also a full time educational consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the educational sector.

I share articles related to courses, colleges, careers, exam tips and more here.