Career options in Food Technology
The Hindu
With the expansions in the food industry, this sector offers a variety of sustainable job roles
With land and water being limited resources, agriculture tends to face restrictions when it comes to food production. Therefore Biotechnology is used to enhance both production and the nutritional quality. Food Technology, which involved Biotechnology and Food Plant Engineering, is a scientific stream that deals with the conversion of raw edible agricultural produce into processed edible and innovative food products.
Techniques like genetic engineering, cloning and selective cultivation help increase the quantity of raw food material. The sensory acceptability of fruits and vegetables can also be enhanced. In the fermented food sector, probiotics, enzymes and single-cell proteins can be identified and developed. Food Technology can also help in sectors like cleaning, hygiene maintenance, smart packaging and shelf life of food.
Food Plant engineering includes processing methods, preservation by drying, low temperature or heat treatment. Food Process Engineering covers the design and process of equipment construction and the types of equipment used to package food, maintenance of food storage area, automation and use of robotics for facilitation of food workers.