Food Science: What It Is and Why It Matters

When it comes to what we eat and how we eat it, one of the earliest forms of food science is fermentation. From 7000 to 6600 BCE, there’s evidence of fermenting alcoholic beverages from rice, fruit, and honey in China, and wine in Georgia. Nearly every continent has experimented with fermentation, including Korean kimchi, Germany’s version of fermented cabbage (sauerkraut), yoghurts, and cheeses. 

Despite centuries-old techniques, the field and study of food science are relatively new. Sparked by social changes around the world, it’s also a growing field. The way humans prepare food continues to evolve, though some traditions have stayed the same. Companies now make it easier for people to feed themselves on the go, whether it’s a McDonald’s burger or a pre-packed salad from Tesco. Even at home, microwavable dinners and ready-quick rice or pasta have become household mainstays. 

Food science examines what people choose to eat and why and how you can transform raw foods into safe, nutritious, and delicious foods. Explore this discipline further, including details about why it matters and how you can build a career in food science.

What is food science?

Food science is a multidisciplinary field of study (and practice) that applies chemistry, nutrition, microbiology, chemical engineering, and physics to food, food groups, and the food system. 

The discipline strongly emphasises the chemistry of food, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water, and fibre, and how the human body processes and stores them. One facet of food science focuses on preserving and processing food, like freezing, drying, farming, pasteurising, dehydrating, and canning. Some fields in food science deal with food safety, while others focus on modern ways of processing and developing food, such as genetically engineered foods, flavour chemistry, packaging, and more.

What do humans eat, and why do we eat it? Why and how do we transform raw meat (from livestock) and produce (from farm crops) into edible food? What is the importance of restaurants in modern society? These are the questions that food scientists seek to answer.

Five fields within food science

Within the discipline, you could concentrate on specific fields as you become a food scientist or study food science. Five options include the following: 

1. Sensory science

Sensory science and analysis refer to how people evaluate food's flavours, appearance, and textures. In this field, scientists might develop new food products and flavours that are more nutritious or convenient, such as an all-organic frozen lasagna or a new cereal flavour. Others might conduct a focus group of consumers to conduct quantitative descriptive analysis, in which participants assign numerical scores to sensory attributes.

2. Nutrition

Some food scientists focus on identifying ways to maintain food’s nutritional content while also making it tasty. Doing so might involve fortifying foods with vitamins or folic acid or helping to create a marketing scheme around tomato recipes, as studies have shown that heating tomatoes raises their lycopene content [1].

3. Food chemistry

Understanding food chemistry is essential to making foods healthier. By knowing the structure of raw ingredients, food chemists can help increase a product’s shelf life, ensure consistent texture, and deliver simpler ways to process food. You might study milk enzymes to develop ways to keep cow’s milk from spoiling. You could also increase the fibre content of a cracker.

The science of meat production

As meat continues to be demanded by most of the world’s diets, the need to peer behind the scenes of meat production continues to grow. The course Sustainable Food Production Through Livestock Health Management from the University of Illinois provides learners with a strong scientific understanding of food production, its impact, and how it can be done more sustainably. Another course, The Meat We Eat, overviews the US and European meat industries, meat inspection, food safety, and quality and packaging.

4. Microbiology

This field studies how microorganisms like bacteria, yeast, and mould interact with food. Food safety specialists might learn microbiology to understand how to eliminate harmful bacteria and mould from foods and then conduct testing to ensure consistency within the supply chain (from processing to transport to retail channels to customers). Fermented foods are another microbiology study covering dairy products, soy, beverages, vegetables, and more.

5. Engineering and processing

Food engineers are essential in transforming raw ingredients into safe, nutritious food. Process engineers then help maintain flavour, colour, and shelf life, like creating identical chocolate bars and deciding on the wrapper material. This involves packaging, like vacuum-sealed meats, and even genetically modifying apples to grow thicker skins. 

Careers in food science

Ample professional opportunities exist within the five fields mentioned above. While some food scientists focus on new product development, others work to promote the quality or safety of certain types of food. 

Food chemist

Food chemists conduct research and assist product developers in deciding how a particular food should taste, smell, or look. They might, for example, work with a spice company to ensure the spices retain their rich flavour and aroma. 

Food scientist

Another food scientist might find work at a Nestle factory in quality control of chocolate bars, ensuring each bar is the same size, shape, colour, and taste. Some food scientists could end up in a marketing or sales department explaining the difference between sugar and stevia. Others could work for the Medicines and Health Care Products Regulatory Agency to determine the safety and saleability of processed food, produce, raw ingredients, and prescription drugs.

Researchers and product managers

Due to the wide variety of fields within food science, you can choose from careers as diverse as a food science researcher conducting focus groups, a flavour chemist at Amuldeciding on the sensory profiles of a new chocolate, or a product manager at a food and beverage technology start-up. Where you take your food science career depends on your specific goals and interests.

Becoming a food scientist

Become a food scientist by earning a bachelor’s degree in food science or a related field. According to the UK’s National Career Services, you will usually need a foundation degree, higher national diploma, or degree in either food science, food studies, or food technology [2]. You might also consider working your way up to this role or taking an apprenticeship to help begin your journey in food science. 

Learn more about food science on Coursera 

Food science is a multidisciplinary field that involves studying food's characteristics, from production to packaging, which impact food safety, nutrition, and processing. As a food scientist, you can build a diverse career working in various industries to ensure food quality, safety, and taste.

Continue learning about this fascinating field with The Science of Gastronomy, offered by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on Coursera. This delightful introduction to the fundamental scientific principles behind the methodology of cooking also explores food preparation and the enjoyment of eating. Through the lens of biology, chemistry, and physics, you’ll explore how to alter flavour by chemical means, how to modify a dish’s colour to improve its appearance, and key ingredients for preparing good, healthy food.