Food Preservation Scientist Career Profile
- Career Name - Food Preservation Scientist
- Category - Health / Farming & Livestock Management
- Skills Required - Life skills 40% - Career skills 60%
- Basic School Subjects - Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics
- Minimum Required Education - Bachelor's Degree
- Species Worked With - Pets, Critters, Farm Animals, Wildlife
- Kind of Interaction with Animals - Indirect
Do you want to work as a food preservation scientist?
READ: This page helps you to read about the career and the info you need to decide on whether this is indeed the career you want to follow.
RESEARCH: Learn about the skills required and minimum subjects to enter this career, as well as the places where you can study further after school.
PREPARE: If you want to plan and prepare for the career, then join the OZT Community! Members have access to tools, while chatting with other students and experts from around the world. Prepare to be amazed!
CAREER MENTORS
UPDATED:
25 April 2024
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What is a food preservation scientist?
Food preservation scientists study the deterioration of food, and find ways to preserve the food so that it does not go bad. They work with animal products consumed by humans, such as meat, eggs and milk, as well as certain food for animals, such as tinned food for cats and dogs.
Alternative Names
Food preservation scientists may also be known by several alternative titles or job descriptions, depending on their specific role or area of expertise. Some alternative names for food preservation scientists include:
Food Technologist:
This term is commonly used to refer to professionals who apply scientific knowledge to develop and improve food products, including preservation methods.
Food Scientist:
Food scientists study the physical, chemical, and biological properties of food to understand how they affect food quality, safety, and preservation.
Food Processing Engineer:
Engineers in this field focus on designing and optimizing food processing equipment and systems, including those used in food preservation.
Food Safety Specialist:
These professionals specialize in ensuring that food products meet regulatory standards for safety and quality throughout the production and preservation process.
Food Quality Assurance Manager:
Quality assurance managers oversee the implementation of quality control measures to maintain consistency and safety in food products, including those related to preservation.
Food Microbiologist:
Microbiologists who work in the food industry study the behavior of microorganisms in food products and develop strategies to control microbial growth and prevent food spoilage.
Preservation Technician:
This term may be used to describe individuals who are involved in hands-on tasks related to food preservation, such as operating preservation equipment or monitoring preservation processes.
These alternative names reflect the diverse skills and expertise required in the field of food preservation and highlight the interdisciplinary nature of this profession, which often involves aspects of food science, engineering, microbiology, and quality assurance.
Career Categories
The Food Preservation Scientist career can be found within the following OZT career categories:
- Health
- Farming & Livestock Management
What does a Food Preservation Scientist do?
Groups of animals a Food Preservation Scientist works with
What is the level of Interaction with the Animals?
- Directly - A person works directly with the animals with some form of physical contact at least once every few days
- Indirectly - The career doesn't require direct or physical contact at all.
A Food Preservation Scientist doesn’t work directly with animals, but with animal-related products.
With who does a Food Preservation Scientist work?
Besides working with all of the animals, Food Preservation Scientists will need to interact with other people while doing their daily tasks. The people might include fellow staff members or the public.
Fellow staff might include:
- Supervisors/Managers
- Operational staff, such as Human Resources, Finance and Maintenance
- Lab Technicians
What does a Food Preservation Scientist focus on?
The primary focus of food preservation scientists is to study how and why food go bad, so that they can find ways of preserving food.
What are the daily tasks of a Food Preservation Scientist?
- Research food processing and reservation methods
- Analyze food content
- Analyze food deterioration causes and speed
- Create new methods of preservation
- Administration and filing
Working Conditions of a Food Preservation Scientist
Where does a Food Preservation Scientist work?
Environment –
A Food Preservation Scientist normally works indoors in a laboratory or office setup. They do also spend some time in the outdoors, studying the animals, gathering samples.
Places of Employment –
A Food Preservation Scientist may find employment at food production facilities, food research institutions, universities and government.
What is the average annual salary of a Food Preservation Scientist?
On average the income per year is around $65,000. This will differ from country to country.
Can a Food Preservation Scientist be promoted?
Advancement in the field typically depends on work experience. First-year scientists often fit their training commitments around daily work demands.
The levels of each promotion might differ from organization to organization, but generally are the following:
Intern -> Junior Scientist -> Senior Scientist -> Manager
What kind of difficulties can a Food Preservation Scientist face?
They may work long hours and over weekends and holidays to finish work within tight deadlines.
Future growth and Possibilities
The growth within the career is average at around 5% per year.
Which Skills are required by a Food Preservation Scientist?
The skills required for a career as a food preservation scientist can be divided into two very important groups. The first is the group containing life skills, which are the core skills that are necessary or desirable for full participation in everyday life. The second group is career skills, or the specific skills required to allow a person to enter and operate effectively within a specific career. Some or maybe even all of the life skills can assist in strengthening the career skills, and they might even be the same for specific careers.
Life Skills
- Self-awareness
- Empathy
- Critical thinking
- Creative thinking
- Decision making
- Problem Solving
- Effective communication
- Interpersonal relationship
Career Skills
- Basic customer service skills
- Good health and physical fitness
- Excellent computer literacy
Which Subjects must I have at School to help prepare for this Career?
Biology will be your most important subject, as it teaches you more about the basics of animals, as well as help you to gain admission into university.
Chemistry will be your main subject at university, as you learn how to use it and the right equipment to do research
Being a scientist requires good knowledge of mathematics.
The subjects you choose at school are important as they lay the foundation for further studies at college or university. While still at school, it’s also important to learn more about the animals you will work with, as well as gain some experience.
OZT has a list of various tertiary institutions where you can study further, after school. Each of these institutions also have their own Group page on OZT where you will find the exact subjects they require of you to have passed in school. Keep these requirements in mind, and discuss it with your school, guidance counselor and parents to ensure that you are prepared!
What will I need to Study to become a Food Preservation Scientist?
Minimum educational requirements
To become a food preservation scientist requires at least a Bachelor’s Degree. It is also possible to study further.
Study Focus
Major –
Important majors to follow will be in an area such as food science, chemistry, microbiology, or a related field.
Short Courses –
With such a dynamic career, there will always be plenty of short courses to assist in strengthening your skills and knowledge.
Study Duration
The duration of a Bachelor’s Degrees can be up to 3 or 4 years. Short Courses are usually between a few weeks and a year.
FREE Career Path Plan
If this is your dream career that you want to pursue, then it’s important to plan the way forward.
Why is planning important?
To ensure that you understand the requirements for your career, and that you are always prepared for the next step on the road towards your dream. A preparation path is like a road map to where you want to be.
Possible Paths:
Here’s a possible career preparation path for a high school student interested in becoming a food preservation scientist, based on the provided points:
1. Attend Career Guidance Sessions:
Attend career guidance sessions at school or local community centres to learn about various career options in the food industry, including food preservation science.
2. Research all of the possible careers:
Conduct thorough research on the roles and responsibilities of food preservation scientists, as well as related careers such as food technologist, food scientist, and food microbiologist.
3. Explore Educational Paths:
Explore different educational paths to becoming a food preservation scientist, such as obtaining a bachelor’s degree in food science, food technology, microbiology, or a related field.
4. Align high school subjects with the educational path:
Take high school courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics to build a strong foundation for pursuing a degree in food science or a related field.
5. Obtain a High School Diploma or Equivalent:
Focus on academic excellence and successfully complete high school to obtain a diploma or equivalent qualification.
6. Learn about animals that will work with:
While food preservation science primarily focuses on food products, having a basic understanding of microbiology, including microorganisms relevant to food preservation, can be beneficial.
7. Align post-school path with either entering a career/job directly, studying further, or starting a business:
Decide whether to pursue higher education immediately after high school or gain work experience through internships or entry-level positions in the food industry.
8. Gain experience through volunteering, internship, mentorship, etc.:
Seek opportunities to gain hands-on experience in food science laboratories, food processing facilities, or research institutions through volunteering, internships, or mentorship programmes.
9. Pursue Extracurricular Activities:
Participate in extracurricular activities related to science, research, or food-related clubs to enhance skills such as teamwork, leadership, and communication.
10. Join Professional Associations:
Join professional associations such as the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) to network with professionals in the field and stay updated on industry trends and developments.
11. Gain Specialised Skills:
Acquire specialised skills in food preservation techniques, food safety regulations, and quality assurance practices through coursework, workshops, or certifications.
12. Network with Professionals:
Build professional networks by attending industry events, conferences, and workshops, and connecting with professionals working in food preservation science.
13. Enter the job market, finish tertiary studies, or launch a business:
After completing tertiary studies or gaining relevant work experience, enter the job market as a food preservation scientist, pursue further studies at the graduate level if desired, or consider entrepreneurship opportunities in the food industry.
14. Stay Updated and Pursue Continuing Education:
Stay updated on advancements in food preservation science by attending seminars, workshops, and continuing education programmes to maintain relevance in the field throughout your career.
Possible Combined Career Paths
It is possible to sometimes combine two or more related careers. This normally happens when you study and practice a specific main career, but the knowledge and experience gained also help you to have a paying hobby or secondary income career.
Possible Alternatives (there are a lot more):
Training and apprenticeship
Even though it is important to study to get into some of the animal careers, most of the skills you will need as a food preservation technician will be acquired through practice. This means that you will learn how to perform some of the daily tasks by actually doing it a few times and learning the steps.
In some cases entry level positions require training sessions even before you are allowed to actually perform your job duties. These sessions are offered by the place of employment, after you have successfully applied.
Apprenticeship is also possible where you need to learn skills from an expert.
Join the Food Preservation Scientists Group in the OZT Community to learn more and even interact with the educational institutions that will help you secure your dream career!
Average level of educational qualification people had when entering the Career
Licenses, Certificate, Registration and Professional Associations
Certain animal careers require some form of legal certification to prove that you can indeed do the work, and work with the necessary equipment.
Although not required by law, certifications may help workers establish their credentials and enhance their skills.
Learn more about requirements by joining the OZT Community.
Professional Associations
Where can I study further?
All of the above information will help you understand more about the Career, including the fact that there are different paths to take to reach it. But if you are almost done with High School (Grades 11 or 12), you also need to start thinking about further studies, and WHERE you will study.
See the List of Universities, Colleges and Online Training Academies who offer courses towards food science.
How do I start to prepare for this Career?
If you do decide on following this career, then OZT can assist you in figuring out a path to prepare, as well as help you to gain further knowledge about the career and the animals you will be working with. We do this by offering you FREE career development tools. There are almost a dozen free tools, but these are the three primary ones:
CAREER PATH PLAN
Use the career path plan above on this profile as an example to follow, or to work out your own path.
COST; Free
ACCESS: Open to visitors and Members
SHORT COURSES
Access easy-to-use short courses to make your career preparation easier! The basic information in each course is free, but the rewards can only be unlocked as an OZT member!
COST; Free
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STUDY GUIDE
Get a supercharged study guide that fits into the career path plan! Now that's really upping your preparation game! Join us for free to gain access!
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ACCESS: Members Only
But, if you are still uncertain about choosing this specific career, and even where to start, then have a look at our special series of WHAT NEXT courses (link below). They take you through all of the questions you might have on how to choose the right career, what to do while at and after school, and even how to start your own business.
Join the OZT Community & Career Group
Join us as a special member and learn more about becoming a food preservation scientist.
Members of the Platform have special access to:
- Info on the best places where you can study (colleges, universities and online)
- Expertly designed advice to prepare you for the career, and links to places where you can gain valuable experience. For some career experience is necessary, otherwise you wont get the job!
- Top notch info on each of the different species you will work with
- Make friends around the world and share knowledge
- Compete and win points, badges, games, prizes and certificates. Be the best of the best, while you learn and prepare!
If you have decided on being a Food Preservation Scientist, please click on the JOIN GROUP button. Members will be directed to the Group, while non-members will be assisted to register first.
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