Career Clues

Food & Nutrition

By Our Special Correspondent

Overview:

Health has become a major and topical issue for society. This means that nutritionists play an increasingly important role in ensuring that consumers can access convenient food of high quality that is also nutritionally beneficial. Nutritionists with training in food science are therefore now at the forefront of new product development, packaging design and relaying health messages to the consumer. These degrees will also provide graduates with the expertise to work in nutrition education and promotion, and within government departments concerned with public health issues. There are also opportunities for our graduates to pursue higher taught (MSc) or research (PhD) degrees in the area of food and health.

Nutrition & Food Science is a scientific study of the health and chemical aspects of the food that we eat. The courses provide a strong academic training in the science of nutrition and the related disciplines of food science, physiology, biochemistry, genetics and microbiology. A core curriculum provides the necessary academic training to gain registration as a ‘Registered Nutrition’.

Scope:

Job opportunities in Fruit and vegetable processing industries, Spices and condiments industries, Bakery and confectionery industries, Beverage industries, Dairy industries, Sugar industries, Meat and poultry industries, Food processing equipment manufacturing industries, etc.

Skills Required:

Personnel Attributes:

A food technologist should have a scientific bend of mind, power of observation & concentration, interest in scientific and technological development and an interest in health and nutrition. Other useful traits required for aspiring food technologists include a sense of responsibility, ability to work well on their own as well as a part of a team, effective communication skills and a discerning approach to food items. A genuine interest in science, high standards of cleanliness, commitment, enthusiasm and motivation are other requisites for this job. A high level of accuracy is also very essential to be a good food technologist.

Courses Offered:

Few courses offered in this field are :

1. Diploma Course in food Analysis and Quality Assurance

2. Diploma in Food Science Technology

3. Diploma in Food Science, Preservation and Management

4. Bachelor of Science in Food Technology

5. Bachelor of Science in Food Science

6. Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition

7. Bachelor of Science in Food preservation

8. Bachelor of Technology in Food Engineering

9. Bachelor of Science (after Bachelor of Science) in Food Technology

10. Master of Science in Food Science

11. Master of Science in Food Technology

12. Master of Science in Food and Fermentation Technology and Food Science

13. Master of Science in Food and Nutrition

Colleges :

Top Food Technology Institute in India ;

Listed below are the top institutes to pursue higher studies in food technology in India.

1. Central Food Research technological Research Institute in Mysore, Karnataka

2. University of Delhi in New Delhi

3. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

4. University of Calcutta in Kolkata, West Bengal

5. University of Madras in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

6. Jadavpur University of Kolkata, West Bengal

7. Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University

8. University ofBombay in Mumbai, Maharashtra

9. Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam, Kerala

10. Manipur University in Imphal, Manipur

11. Siddhartha Mahila Kalasala, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh

Job Prospects & Salaries :

There are plenty of job opportunities for food technologists in the country. Food technologists are in demand in the sectors such as hotels, quality control, soft drink factories, food industries, packaging, industries, hospitals, distilleries and rice mills. The major food processing companies such as Perfetti India Ltd, Godrej industries Ltd, Amul, Parle Products Pvt. Ltd, Agro Tech foods, ITC Limited, PepsiCo India Holding, Britannia Industries Ltd, Nestle India Pvt. Ltd, Cadbury India Ltd, MTR foods technologists for Monitoring the storage, temperatures, experimenting, processing and hygiene.

Remuneration :

Food technologists having professional qualifications are easily absorbed by food processing companies, food research laboratories, hotels, restaurants and catering establishments etc. Earnings vary by industry, skill, geographic region, and educational level. Entry level pay and perks tend to be around Rs 10,000 – 15,000 per month. However with experience, as one specializes in a particular area of food technology, pay packages keep soaring.