What Do Food Science Technicians Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Food Science Technicians perform standardized qualitative and quantitative tests to determine physical or chemical properties of food or beverage products. They also record or compile test results or prepare graphs, charts, or reports.

Other tasks include:

• Conduct standardized tests on food, beverages, additives, or preservatives to ensure compliance with standards and regulations regarding factors such as color, texture, or nutrients.
• Maintain records of testing results or other documents as required by state or other governing agencies.
• Taste or smell foods or beverages to ensure that flavors meet specifications or to select samples with specific characteristics.
• Monitor and control temperature of products.
• Compute moisture or salt content, percentages of ingredients, formulas, or other product factors, using mathematical and chemical procedures.
• Perform regular maintenance of laboratory equipment by inspecting, calibrating, cleaning, or sterilizing.

We asked Food Science Technicians how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

69% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 65% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Food Science Technicians provide assistance to food scientists or technologists in research and development, production technology, or quality control. They perform regular maintenance of laboratory equipment by inspecting, calibrating, cleaning, or sterilizing.

A typical day for a Food Science Technician will also include:

• Record or compile test results or prepare graphs, charts, or reports.
• Conduct standardized tests on food, beverages, additives, or preservatives to ensure compliance with standards and regulations regarding factors such as color, texture, or nutrients.
• Maintain records of testing results or other documents as required by state or other governing agencies.
• Taste or smell foods or beverages to ensure that flavors meet specifications or to select samples with specific characteristics.
• Analyze test results to classify products or compare results with standard tables.

We asked some Food Science Technicians a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Food Science Technicians also order supplies needed to maintain inventories in laboratories or in storage facilities of food or beverage processing plants. They may also mix, blend, or cultivate ingredients to make reagents or to manufacture food or beverage products.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Food Science Technicians Monitor and control temperature of products. They might also Prepare or incubate slides with cell cultures.

In addition, they Taste or smell foods or beverages to ensure that flavors meet specifications or to select samples with specific characteristics.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Examine chemical or biological samples to identify cell structures or to locate bacteria or extraneous material, using a microscope.

To some Food Science Technicians, it is also their responsibility to Compute moisture or salt content, percentages of ingredients, formulas, or other product factors, using mathematical and chemical procedures.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Food Science Technician, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

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