What does a food safety scientist do?
A food safety scientist's responsibility is to improve food quality and packaging and to create new food products by developing excellent processing, storage, and transportation procedures with proper compliance with the health and safety standards. He/she is skilled at analyzing the nutritional food content, discovering new food sources, and researching safe and healthy food processing. In addition, this food scientist studies the microbiological, chemical, and physical properties of food and ingredients to ensure its safety for consumers.
Food safety scientist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real food safety scientist resumes:
- 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.
- Utilize FACS to study enrichment module separation efficiency and test various biomarkers by fluorescent imaging.
- Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
Food safety scientist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Food Safety Scientists are proficient in Safety Data, Safety Issues, and Drug Safety. They’re also known for soft skills such as Math skills, Communication skills, and Observation skills.
We break down the percentage of Food Safety Scientists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Safety Data, 13%
Lead aggregate safety data review of all AE reports, relevant literature, detection and evaluation of potential safety signals.
- Safety Issues, 12%
Communicate with foreign affiliates regarding safety issues.
- Drug Safety, 10%
Functioned as drug safety representative on clinical project teams.
- FDA, 8%
Conducted assay verification and validation studies and drafted FDA submission reports.
- Study Reports, 7%
Managed publishing final study reports.
- Food Safety, 7%
Managed the qualification of 5 new production lines and accompanying equipment during facility expansions for food safety risks and quality factors.
"safety data," "safety issues," and "drug safety" are among the most common skills that food safety scientists use at work. You can find even more food safety scientist responsibilities below, including:
Math skills. The most essential soft skill for a food safety scientist to carry out their responsibilities is math skills. This skill is important for the role because "agricultural and food scientists, like many other scientists, must have a sound grasp of mathematical concepts." Additionally, a food safety scientist resume shows how their duties depend on math skills: "develop bio-analytical methods such as quantitative dna pcr and rs-pcr for detection of viral genomes in non-human primates joints. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform food safety scientist duties is communication skills. Food safety scientists responsibilities require that "communication skills are critical for agricultural and food scientists." Food safety scientists also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "participated in method transfers of new products with akzo nobel served as qc representative on employee communication committee"
Observation skills. food safety scientists are also known for observation skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to food safety scientist responsibilities, because "agricultural and food scientists conduct experiments that require precise observation of samples and other data." A food safety scientist resume example shows how observation skills is used in the workplace: "coordinated and performed commercial release testing of marketed product at manufacturing site in qc environment to address fda audit observations"
The three companies that hire the most food safety scientists are:
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.5 food safety scientists jobs
- Exponent2 food safety scientists jobs
- PTC Therapeutics
2 food safety scientists jobs
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Compare different food safety scientists
Food safety scientist vs. Enologist
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a food safety scientist are more likely to require skills like "safety data," "safety issues," "sops," and "drug safety." On the other hand, a job as an enologist requires skills like "wine," "harvest," "winemaker," and "lab analysis." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that enologists earn slightly differ from food safety scientists. In particular, enologists are 5.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a food safety scientist. Additionally, they're 14.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Food safety scientist vs. Research food technologist
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that food safety scientist responsibilities requires skills like "safety data," "safety issues," "sops," and "drug safety." But a research food technologist might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "pilot plant," "food service," "harvest," and "research projects."
In general, research food technologists achieve higher levels of education than food safety scientists. They're 10.0% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 14.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for food safety scientists in the next 3-5 years?
Scott Johnson
Professor and Director, University of Maine
Food safety scientist vs. Senior food technologist
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, food safety scientists are more likely to have skills like "safety data," "safety issues," "drug safety," and "management plans." But a senior food technologist is more likely to have skills like "qa," "sr," "pilot plant," and "technical support."
Most senior food technologists achieve a higher degree level compared to food safety scientists. For example, they're 12.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 13.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Food safety scientist vs. Seafood technology specialist
Types of food safety scientist
Updated January 8, 2025
