How To Become A Food Safety Scientist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a food safety scientist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Peiyi Shen

The work of food scientists is to upgrade the authenticity of food as well as the packaging. Not only this, but also to produce new foodstuff by generating excellent refining, preservation, and conveyance techniques with appropriate regard to the health and safety paradigm. You must be an expert in evaluating the nourishing food substance, identifying new food origins, and exploring how to process dependable and beneficial food.

Furthermore, as a food scientist, you must have knowledge and understanding of microbiological, synthetic, and material features of food and ingredients to make sure it is harmless to consumers. Also, you must make sure that the production process aligns with government, production, consumer, and company standards.

The education requirement for this job is obtaining a bachelor's degree in food science/ technology, biochemistry, nutrition, or other related courses. Having postgraduate eligibility can be helpful, especially for those without a useful first degree. Additionally, you must exhibit good communication, teamwork, and analytical skills. You must be detail-oriented and able to work alone. An average yearly salary for a food safety scientist is valued at $71,594 or $33.42 per hour.

What general advice would you give to a food safety scientist?

Dr. Peiyi Shen

Lecturer, Website

- The field of food science is ever-evolving. It is very important to keep up-to-date with the latest research, technologies, and trends in both the food industry and academia. They are suggested to attend workshops, conferences, and/or pursue related certifications or advanced degrees. - Building professional relationships can open doors to more opportunities. Joining professional organizations such as the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and participating in industry events provide excellent opportunities to meet people in the same area. - They are encouraged to seek more hand-on and practical experience. For example, internships, co-op programs, and entry-level positions can provide valuable hands-on experience. This can also help you determine which area of food science you are most passionate about. - The food industry is fast-paced and can change rapidly due to the new regulations, consumer trends, and technological advancements. Being flexible and open to change is helpful.

ScoreFood Safety ScientistUS Average

Salary

6.3

Avg. Salary $80,238

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.4

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 12.31%

Black or African American 4.10%

Hispanic or Latino 8.26%

Unknown 2.76%

White 72.33%

Gender

female 67.95%

male 32.05%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

5.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a food safety scientist

Explore food safety scientist education requirements

Most common food safety scientist degrees

Bachelor's

66.2 %

Doctorate

14.9 %

Master's

10.8 %

Start to develop specific food safety scientist skills

Skills	Percentages
Safety Data	12.57%
Safety Issues	12.22%
Drug Safety	9.94%
FDA	7.86%
Study Reports	7.08%

Complete relevant food safety scientist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New food safety scientists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a food safety scientist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real food safety scientist resumes.

Research food safety scientist duties and responsibilities

Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
Draft letters to the FDA and license partners regarding evaluation and reporting of adverse event reports.
Develop complete responses to FDA inquiries regarding investigational and market product safety which present accurate benefit-risk information and support company initiatives.
Used quantitative western blot to support selection of biomarkers specific to human dehydration.

Get food safety scientist experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a food safety scientist. The most common roles before becoming a food safety scientist include pharmacy internship, associate team lead and research assistant.

Prepare your food safety scientist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your food safety scientist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a food safety scientist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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