Last Updated on July 31, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar
Do you want to know more about Food Processing and Technology course? If yes, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, I will analyze this course. We will check out details regarding the course such as- what Food Processing and Technology is all about, formats of the course available, career prospects, job opportunities and more. If you are interested in this course, please do read the entire article.
What Food Processing and Technology course is all about?
Explaining in simple terms, this course deals with aspects related to Food Industry. Aspects such as- production (farming, synthetic means etc), transportation, storage, preservation, packing, processing, use of modern machinery, research etc.
Let us take a real world example. Consider milk, which is consumed across various parts of the world. Food Processing and Technology deals with things like- obtaining milk from poultry farms, processing and cleaning milk (using modern means), storing it, using preservatives to keep the product intact, transporting the product to various parts of the world using different means such as air route or via road using refrigeration technology, processing milk further to make other products such as flavored milk, curd, cheese etc at processing plants, bottling and packing milk etc. In short, it deals with everything ranging from production to distribution of food products!
Food Processing and Technology course deals with all the above mentioned topics in detail. The topics I’ve mentioned are the main ones only. There are many more details and processes covered in the subject.
Another important thing taught in this course is the use of chemicals in Food Industry. These days, a large number of chemicals are used to preserve food material, add flavor to food, add artificial color to the food etc. In short, this course gives extensive knowledge about different types of chemicals that are commonly used in the Food Industry.
Use of machines is another topic that holds much importance in this course. We all know that machines contribute a lot, when it comes to food manufacturing and processing sector. These days, in case of many food processing plants and factories, most of the processes are automated. To a large extent, the production process depends on machines! So, it becomes important to know how these machines work, procedures associated with their maintenance etc.
Food Processing and Technology course also deals in detail with commonly used machines that come handy in Food industry.
Artificial food materials can also be said to be another important topic. These days, thanks to development in science and technology, synthetic and artificial stuff are also used in food. Before using such stuff in food, their effects on human health is tested and studied. It is up to food technology professionals and chemical engineering graduates to test such substances and their effects on human health.
So, those were some common topics that gets covered in this course. Please note that I’ve mentioned only the major topics.
Reasons why Food Processing and Technology field is a promising one-
First of all, when compared to other Professional Courses, this particular course has less number of takers. Naturally, the job market is not too saturated. At the same time, Food Industry is not well supplied in terms on qualified professionals. The demand for Food Processing and Technology professionals is high!
Low job saturation and high demand for qualified professionals! Isn’t it a wonderful prospect? So, if it is a job that is your prime priority, this course could help you out!
Another thing to be pointed out is the demand and supply of food products. We all know that population is increasing. Along with it, the demand for food is also increasing. Naturally, with more mouths to feed, the demand will only increase!
But sadly, the supply is not enough to meet the demand! That’s the reason why many people scarcely have anything to eat and are terribly malnourished. However, Governments from around the World are investing heavily towards Research and Development in Food Technology field. This is being done in a bid to meet the demands by introducing new Food processes, Technology etc. Do you know that meat has been produced artificially in a lab? Yes, meat that can be eaten! Yes, actually scientists have been able to produce it in a lab, thanks to research and development! Though the process is expensive, sooner or later it will make its way to the food market. To an extent, such developments will help meet the demand for food!
The base line is that there is huge demand for Scientists in this field. After completing this course, one may build a good career in R&D sector!
Then comes the research done to create super food- edible items meant for soldiers, astronauts etc, who don’t always have the luxury to carry tons of food with them wherever they go, to perform their duties! In short, there are ample job opportunities in the R&D sector for Food Processing and Technology post graduate students.
Formats of courses available-
Different formats of courses are available. Regular ones are more advantageous, when compared to online courses. I will mention the regular classroom ones here-
- B.E./B.Tech. in Food Processing and Technology– 4 years long course
- M.E./M.Tech. in Food Processing and Technology (PG course)– 2 years Masters course
- Diploma in Food Processing and Technology- 3 years long course
- B.Sc. in Food Processing and Technology- 3 years long course
- M.Sc. in Food Processing and Technology- 2 years long course
Apart from the above mentioned regular classroom courses, some other formats are also available, namely-
- Food Technology- Online Diploma course
- Food Technology- Certificate program
Now that we’ve dealt with different types of courses, it is time to deal with skills required to succeed in this field-
Skills required to thrive in this field-
- Having a genuine interest in Food related aspects such as- production, transportation etc will come handy.
- Having good interest in Chemistry will be an added advantage.
- Having interest in the subject of Biology will also come handy!
Job opportunities and scope-
Ample job opportunities are available in Government as well as private sector. After completing the course, one may land a job at any of the many big MNCs (Multi National Companies) manufacturing edible FMCGs (Fast Moving Consumer Goods). Examples of such companies are- Amul (Dairy products), ITC, Haldirams etc.
When it comes to Government sector jobs, the main one is that of an Officer in the Food and Public Distribution section. Posts such as Food Inspector are available at Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Department.
One may also go for a career in the field of Research and Development. As I mentioned above, food processing and technology is given more importance these days. More emphasis is laid on R&D activities. Healthy food is the prime priority and there is also a need to meet the demand and supply, when it comes to food. It is sure that R&D efforts will definitely solve the above mentioned problems. Food Processing and Technology Graduates may go for Masters Degree (M Tech or M Sc) and venture into R&D field. MNCs as well as Government agencies require qualified scientists in good numbers! So, it is safe to say that scientists are in good demand!
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.