The Career
Processed and preserved foodstuffs have been among the most remarkable catalysts for bringing about change in the food habits of a substantially large urban population. From eating merely for subsistence, people now show preference for supplementing their diet with value-added foodstuffs. Increase in consumption of processed foods is noticeable across various categories of the population and the trend of 'eating out' has grown manifold. With these trends the market for processed food is growing significantly and it is expected that the food industry should grow rapidly and cross the two hundred thousand crore mark by the turn of the century.
The domestic industry has been largely handled by the disorganized sector in the past. However, with growth on the anvil, investment and restructuring is required in processing, retailing and for setting up cooperatives as well as for streamlining the agricultural inputs sector to enhance the growth of this industry. Food production, procurement, processing, distribution networks and retailing are attracting large integrated players into the field. With the open market policies of the government, this industry has attracted multinational participation. This industry should offer tremendous opportunities to qualified food technologists and entrepreneurs.
The Nature of Job
Food Technology is the study of sciences related to food processing, which involves preservation of fruits, sea food, meats, cooked foods, vegetables, juices and beverages and also the manufacture of confectionary, snacks, foodstuffs and packaging. The tasks:
- Research for devising new and improved food processing techniques.
- Guiding the processing, conservation and preservation of foodstuffs.
- Creating new foodstuffs generated from plant and animal life.
- Improving existing techniques for economizing, processing, adding value, creating new tastes for providing impetus to marketing and consumption of processed foodstuffs.
- Evolving measures such as infestation control, fungicidal treatment and insecticidal storage to protect foods from spoiling and damage.
- Examining foodstuffs for contamination, adulteration, food value, etc. by biochemical and nutrition tests and quality control measures.
- Developing new methods and processes for recovering useful and utilizable by products from industrial and domestic wastes of foodstuffs.
Who should pursue it?
If you have analytical mind, keen observation, interest in chemistry and foodstuffs, you will find this field interesting. Interest in flavors, tastes, healthy foods and marketing will be of value.
Where will it take you?
Food technologists work in industries manufacturing mostly all kinds of foodstuff. They work for quality control in the manufacturing sector, supervising the production process. The manufacturing industries use their expertise in monitoring the storage, processing, hygiene, temperatures and experimenting for making new preparations.
Food technologists also work in hotels, hospitals, packaging industries, distilleries, soft drink factories, spices, cereals and rice mills.
Study Routes
Students after Class XII (PCB/ mathematics/agriculture) can pursue graduation in Food Technology.
Graduation in Food technology, chemical technology/chemistry, agricultural sciences, dairy technology/dairy sciences, can be followed by postgraduate in the subject.
Where to study?
Diploma Courses
Food Analysis and Quality Assurance/Food Science Technology, SNDT Women's University, 1, Nathibai Thackersay Road, Mumbai 400020.
University of Madras, Centenary of Madras, Centenary Buildings, Chepauk, Chennai 600005.
Graduate Courses B.Sc. (Food Technology) & B.Tech (Food Technology), B.A.Sc. Food Technology
University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, Contact: Dean, Faculty of Inter-Disciplinary and Applied Sciences, South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi 110021.
The two colleges offering the above course are as follows: (1). Bhaskracharya College Of Applied Sciences;Sector - 2, Dwarka, New Delhi. (2). Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women; Jhilmil Colony, Vivek Vihar, New Delhi 110095.
B.Sc
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad 431004
Manipur University, Imphal 795003
Mahatma Gandhi University, Priyadarshini Hills PO, Kottayam 686560
B.Sc. with Food Science
Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded 431603, B.Sc. with Food and Nutrition, Kakatiya University, Warangal 506009
University of Calcutta, Calcutta 700073
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marabwada University, Aurangabad 431004
University of Delhi, Delhi 110007
University of Mysore, Mysore 570073
B.Sc. with Food Preservation
University of Madras, Chennai-600005
University of Calcutta, Calcutta-700073
B.Tech. (Food Engineering)
Chitrakoot Gramodaya Vishwavidyalaya, Distt. Satna 485331 (M.P.)
Kanpur University, Kanpur 208024 (UP) (M.Tech. is also available),
Postgraduate Courses [M.Sc., M.Tech., and B.Tech in some universities after B.Sc.]
M.Sc. (Food Technology)
Central Food Technological Research Institute CFTRI); Deptt. Human Resource Dev., Chelumba Mansion, Mysore 570013. It is a premiere institution for study and research in Food Technology.
B.Tech. (Food Technology & Bio Chemical Engg.)
Jadavpur University, Calcutta 700032 [After B.Sc. (Hons.) Chemistry] B.Sc. Tech (after B.Sc.)
University of Bombay, Port, Mumbai 400032 (M.Sc. Tech is available in Food Technology and in Fermentation Technology)., M.Sc. (Food Science)
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam 530003 (A.P.)
M.Sc. (Food Technology)
Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology Pantnagar 263145 (U.P.) (M.Sc. Food and Nutrition is offered by the faculty of Home Science).
M.Sc. in Food and Fermentation Technology and Food Sc, Tech.
Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005 (Punjab)
M.Sc. (Food and Nutrition)
University of Mysore, Mysore 570005 (after Home Science)
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641003
University of Agricultural Sciences, Krishinagar, Dharwad 580003
M.Tech. (Food Technology and Engineering)
University Of Mumbai, Institute of Chemical Technology [UICT]; Matunga, Mumbai 400019.
Hartcourt Butler Technological Institute [HBTI], Kanpur 208002.
For details please refer to the admission notification and for more information to the website of respective universities.
For any further query, send email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
