What does a food scientist do?

Q: What does a food scientist do on a daily basis?

A food scientist participates in research and development, performs quality control and assurance, and ensures food compliance and safety daily. Here are some details on the common daily activities of a food scientist:

Q: Where do food scientists work?

Food scientists work in laboratories, factories, or universities. In university settings, most food scientists are professors. They will be working among other scientists in their field or related fields. They also will work as lecturers for aspiring food scientists. If you enjoy teaching, this will be a great fit for you. Food scientists working in factories will be monitoring the safety and supply of specific foods. They will also focus on the optimization of the distribution of food. They often will be working with people in many different positions. If you prefer working in the practical usage of food science, working in a factory is the place for you. Food scientists in laboratories may work on the development of different altered food sources. They make sure that any modified food is still safe for consumption. These food scientists will work with other scientists. They may publish research during their career. They will focus on making advancements in the field.

Updated January 8, 2025

7 min read

Quoted expert

Bryan Spiegelberg Ph.D.

A food scientists' job is primarily to improve food in terms of quality and packaging and create new food products. This job may include ensuring products comply with health and safety standards as well as developing excellent quality food processing, storage, and transportation procedures. They will collaborate with project groups to make new products starting from conceptualization to commercialization. Moreover, they work on the release of potential brands and improve nutritional quality, especially the flavor and texture of food. Also, they assist the company in leading product improvements and innovations.

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Food scientist responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real food scientist resumes:

Achieve accurate, quick QC sample analysis to ensure product integrity.
Lead a collaboration with another biotechnology company to design ELISAs for the purpose of evaluating novel reagents.
Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
Maintain all QA lab equipment used for preprocess and finish food testing.
Perform HPLC and GC method development and validations to support ANDA filings.
Work on extrusion line; co-developed granola pieces for cereal application and agglomerate bars.
Participate in daily and monthly GMP audits.
Operate mixers, blenders, and ovens.
Attend food labeling seminars offer by AIB and GMA.
Conduct sensory and shelf life studies of snack bars and shakes
Run HPLC to analyze ink, coating and substrate samples.
Participate in SQF and customer s quality departments on site audits.
Maintain a laboratory notebook and documentation as required by GMP and GLP.
Coordinate with USDA and production department, on any special cleaning request.
Optimize primers and fluorescent probes for RT-qPCR and TaqMan real-time PCR assays.

Food scientist skills and personality traits

We calculated that 9% of Food Scientists are proficient in Product Development, Project Management, and Food Safety. They’re also known for soft skills such as Math skills, Communication skills, and Observation skills.

We break down the percentage of Food Scientists that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Product Development, 9%
Contribute to product development projects from idea generation to formula finalization through close discussion and alignment with cross functional teams.
Project Management, 8%
Assist with product marketing through label formulation and content claims Skills Used Project Management Thermal Processing Label Compliance Documentation
Food Safety, 8%
Represented FMC FoodTech on Food Safety issues at trade associations, academia, and national and international hygienic standards organization
Pilot Plant, 7%
Managed pilot plant runs, including formula/process optimization, liquid fat and emulsifier injection technology and shortening extrusion systems.
FDA, 4%
Evaluated labels per FDA label regulations, generated violation letters and executed follow-ups.
Technical Support, 4%
Interfaced with Quality Assurance and Engineering when technical support is needed on continuous improvement of manufacturing.

Most food scientists use their skills in "product development," "project management," and "food safety" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential food scientist responsibilities here:

Math skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a food scientist to have is math skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "agricultural and food scientists, like many other scientists, must have a sound grasp of mathematical concepts." Food scientists often use math skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "performed standardized qualitative and quantitative tests to determine physical or chemical properties of food products. "

Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform food scientist duties is communication skills. Food scientists responsibilities require that "communication skills are critical for agricultural and food scientists." Food scientists also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "act as a company liaison in communication with usda, fda, vdacs and any other regulatory agency as needed. "

Observation skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of food scientists is observation skills. This skill is critical to many everyday food scientist duties, as "agricultural and food scientists conduct experiments that require precise observation of samples and other data." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "coordinated and performed commercial release testing of marketed product at manufacturing site in qc environment to address fda audit observations"

Most common food scientist skills

The three companies that hire the most food scientists are:

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Compare different food scientists

Food scientist vs. Quality control

As the name entails, the job of a quality control inspector is to inspect, maintain, and improve the quality and standard of products. They are responsible for ensuring the company's reputation is not damaged due to defective products or inferior manufacturing processes. This can be done by detecting and resolving the problem early on, and returning the product for repair. A quality control inspector should also notify the supervisors immediately when issues arise and coordinate with them to address the problem.

If we compare the average food scientist annual salary with that of a quality control, we find that quality controls typically earn a $41,521 lower salary than food scientists make annually.Even though food scientists and quality controls are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require fda, laboratory equipment, and gmp in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a food scientist are more likely to require skills like "product development," "project management," "food safety," and "pilot plant." On the other hand, a job as a quality control requires skills like "quality checks," "safety standards," "quality standards," and "r." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Quality controls earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $36,096. On the other hand, food scientists are paid more in the education industry with an average salary of $91,306.quality controls tend to reach lower levels of education than food scientists. In fact, quality controls are 12.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Food scientist vs. Quality control associate

In a manufacturing setting, a quality control associate is in charge of conducting various tests to ensure that the products meet the company's standard criteria. Their responsibilities revolve around inspecting the workforce and workload involved in the production process, identifying errors or inconsistencies, recommending solutions and alterations, and maintaining records and documentation. Furthermore, as a quality control associate, it is essential to coordinate with department staff and produce progress reports, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

On average, quality control associates earn a $29,826 lower salary than food scientists a year.A few skills overlap for food scientists and quality control associates. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "fda," "qa," and "laboratory equipment. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real food scientist resumes. While food scientist responsibilities can utilize skills like "product development," "project management," "food safety," and "pilot plant," quality control associates use skills like "qc testing," "test methods," "environmental monitoring," and "lims."

On average, quality control associates earn a lower salary than food scientists. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, quality control associates earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $54,631. Whereas food scientists have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $91,306.In general, quality control associates achieve lower levels of education than food scientists. They're 10.2% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for food scientists in the next 3-5 years?

Bryan Spiegelberg Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Molecular Sciences, Rider University

Advances in many areas -- computing, communication, materials, energy, and so on -- all seem to converge on one technology: artificial intelligence. The ability of the global community to process information continues to change rapidly, and it isn't easy to predict. What's not hard to predict, though, is the impact that AI will have on job landscapes in the sciences and beyond. Budding chemists who have a grasp on big data, in its many forms, will be in the best position to use AI and to be at the forefront of the deployment of the tools that AI allows us to envision. These "modern" chemists are on track to be the leaders and the influencers, while others will be stuck playing catch up.

Food scientist vs. Quality control assistant

Quality assurance technicians work as testers, samplers, and inspectors of quality control in the organizations. They are equipped with skills in visual inspection, written and verbal communication, and active listening. In carrying out their jobs, they are expected to work well and be detail-oriented. Working as a quality assurance technician involves problem-solving, decision making, and creative thinking. They see to it that products and services meet the quality standards for the entire organization.

On average, quality control assistants earn lower salaries than food scientists, with a $36,509 difference per year.food scientists and quality control assistants both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "fda," "product specifications," and "food products," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a food scientist is likely to be skilled in "product development," "project management," "food safety," and "pilot plant," while a typical quality control assistant is skilled in "quality checks," "safety standards," "data entry," and "internal audit."

Quality control assistants make a very good living in the construction industry with an average annual salary of $41,154. On the other hand, food scientists are paid the highest salary in the education industry, with average annual pay of $91,306.quality control assistants typically earn lower educational levels compared to food scientists. Specifically, they're 11.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Learn more about food scientists vs quality control assistants.

Food scientist vs. Quality control chemist

A Quality Control Chemist uses chemistry lab skills to test and measure materials, usually in a manufacturing or pharmaceutical field. They analyze samples using scientific equipment, prepare study protocols, collect data, and identify and investigate abnormal test results.

Quality control chemists average a lower salary than the annual salary of food scientists. The difference is about $15,453 per year.According to resumes from food scientists and quality control chemists, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "fda," "qa," and "gmp. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between food scientists and quality control chemists, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a food scientist might have more use for skills like "product development," "project management," "food safety," and "pilot plant." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of quality control chemists require skills like "analytical methods," "uv/vis," "drug products," and "test methods. "

The manufacturing industry tends to pay the highest salaries for quality control chemists, with average annual pay of $63,570. Comparatively, the highest food scientist annual salary comes from the education industry.quality control chemists reach lower levels of education compared to food scientists, in general. The difference is that they're 5.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Learn more about food scientists vs quality control chemists.

Types of food scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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