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Date: 08/13/2025

Food Scientists and Technologists

Use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences to study the principles underlying the processing and deterioration of foods; analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein; discover new food sources; research ways to make processed foods safe, palatable, and healthful; and apply food science knowledge to determine best ways to process, package, preserve, store, and distribute food.

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  • Work Activities
  • Skills
  • WorkKeys®
  • Abilities
  • Knowledge
  • Career Video
  • Pay
  • Ohio Employment Trends
  • Typical Education
  • Personality
  • Tools
  • Technology
  • Tags
  • Develop new food items for production, based on consumer feedback.
  • Seek substitutes for harmful or undesirable additives, such as nitrites.
  • Develop new or improved ways of preserving, processing, packaging, storing, and delivering foods, using knowledge of chemistry, microbiology, and other sciences.
  • Study methods to improve aspects of foods, such as chemical composition, flavor, color, texture, nutritional value, and convenience.
  • Inspect food processing areas to ensure compliance with government regulations and standards for sanitation, safety, quality, and waste management.
  • Check raw ingredients for maturity or stability for processing, and finished products for safety, quality, and nutritional value.
  • Stay up to date on new regulations and current events regarding food science by reviewing scientific literature.
  • Confer with process engineers, plant operators, flavor experts, and packaging and marketing specialists to resolve problems in product development.
  • Study the structure and composition of food or the changes foods undergo in storage and processing.
  • Develop food standards and production specifications, safety and sanitary regulations, and waste management and water supply specifications.
  • Demonstrate products to clients.
  • Evaluate food processing and storage operations and assist in the development of quality assurance programs for such operations.
  • Test new products for flavor, texture, color, nutritional content, and adherence to government and industry standards.

Work Activities

Work Activities

  • Develop new food items for production, based on consumer feedback.
  • Seek substitutes for harmful or undesirable additives, such as nitrites.
  • Develop new or improved ways of preserving, processing, packaging, storing, and delivering foods, using knowledge of chemistry, microbiology, and other sciences.
  • Study methods to improve aspects of foods, such as chemical composition, flavor, color, texture, nutritional value, and convenience.
  • Inspect food processing areas to ensure compliance with government regulations and standards for sanitation, safety, quality, and waste management.
  • Check raw ingredients for maturity or stability for processing, and finished products for safety, quality, and nutritional value.
  • Stay up to date on new regulations and current events regarding food science by reviewing scientific literature.
  • Confer with process engineers, plant operators, flavor experts, and packaging and marketing specialists to resolve problems in product development.
  • Study the structure and composition of food or the changes foods undergo in storage and processing.
  • Develop food standards and production specifications, safety and sanitary regulations, and waste management and water supply specifications.
  • Demonstrate products to clients.
  • Evaluate food processing and storage operations and assist in the development of quality assurance programs for such operations.
  • Test new products for flavor, texture, color, nutritional content, and adherence to government and industry standards.

Skills

  • Mathematics

    Using math to solve problems.

  • Quality Control Analysis

    Testing how well a product or service works.

  • Management of Personnel Resources

    Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

  • Equipment Maintenance

    Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

  • Technology Design

    Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

  • Troubleshooting

    Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

  • Learning Strategies

    Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

  • Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

  • Judgment and Decision Making

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

  • Operation and Control

    Using equipment or systems.

  • Equipment Selection

    Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

  • Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • Service Orientation

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • Complex Problem Solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • Time Management

    Managing your time and the time of other people.

  • Repairing

    Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

  • Systems Analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

  • Systems Evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • Operations Analysis

    Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

  • Coordination

    Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

  • Active Listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • Active Learning

    Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

  • Social Perceptiveness

    Understanding people's reactions.

  • Programming

    Writing computer programs.

  • Operations Monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

  • Negotiation

    Bringing people together to solve differences.

  • Management of Material Resources

    Managing equipment and materials.

  • Installation

    Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

  • Management of Financial Resources

    Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

  • Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

  • Reading Comprehension

    Reading work-related information.

  • Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • Science

    Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

  • Critical Thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

WorkKeys®

Applied Math
5
Workplace Documents
4
Graphic Literacy
4

Abilities

  • Peripheral Vision

    Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

  • Gross Body Coordination

    Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

  • Written Comprehension

    Reading and understanding what is written.

  • Finger Dexterity

    Putting together small parts with your fingers.

  • Dynamic Flexibility

    Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • Wrist-Finger Speed

    Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

  • Selective Attention

    Paying attention to something without being distracted.

  • Flexibility of Closure

    Seeing hidden patterns.

  • Hearing Sensitivity

    Telling the difference between sounds.

  • Mathematical Reasoning

    Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

  • Spatial Orientation

    Knowing where things are around you.

  • Number Facility

    Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

  • Visual Color Discrimination

    Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

  • Multilimb Coordination

    Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • Response Orientation

    Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

  • Reaction Time

    Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

  • Deductive Reasoning

    Using rules to solve problems.

  • Gross Body Equilibrium

    Keeping your balance or staying upright.

  • Perceptual Speed

    Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • Extent Flexibility

    Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • Depth Perception

    Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

  • Arm-Hand Steadiness

    Keeping your arm or hand steady.

  • Explosive Strength

    Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

  • Category Flexibility

    Grouping things in different ways.

  • Speech Recognition

    Recognizing spoken words.

  • Originality

    Creating new and original ideas.

  • Time Sharing

    Doing two or more things at the same time.

  • Rate Control

    Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

  • Written Expression

    Communicating by writing.

  • Manual Dexterity

    Holding or moving items with your hands.

  • Speech Clarity

    Speaking clearly.

  • Auditory Attention

    Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

  • Oral Comprehension

    Listening and understanding what people say.

  • Speed of Closure

    Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

  • Far Vision

    Seeing details that are far away.

  • Information Ordering

    Ordering or arranging things.

  • Trunk Strength

    Using your lower back and stomach.

  • Stamina

    Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

  • Inductive Reasoning

    Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

  • Glare Sensitivity

    Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

  • Control Precision

    Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • Visualization

    Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • Memorization

    Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

  • Static Strength

    Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

  • Near Vision

    Seeing details up close.

  • Problem Sensitivity

    Noticing when problems happen.

  • Sound Localization

    Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

  • Speed of Limb Movement

    Quickly moving your arms and legs.

  • Night Vision

    Seeing at night or under low light.

  • Dynamic Strength

    Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

  • Fluency of Ideas

    Coming up with lots of ideas.

  • Oral Expression

    Communicating by speaking.

Knowledge

  • Administrative

    Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

  • Sales and Marketing

    Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • Mechanical

    Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • Customer and Personal Service

    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

  • Production and Processing

    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

  • Chemistry

    Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

  • Administration and Management

    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

  • Fine Arts

    Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • Law and Government

    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

  • Medicine and Dentistry

    Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

  • Therapy and Counseling

    Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

  • Education and Training

    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • Foreign Language

    Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • Economics and Accounting

    Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

  • Physics

    Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

  • Food Production

    Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

  • Computers and Electronics

    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • Building and Construction

    Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

  • History and Archeology

    Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

  • Sociology and Anthropology

    Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

  • Geography

    Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

  • Philosophy and Theology

    Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

  • Biology

    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

  • Psychology

    Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

  • Engineering and Technology

    Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

  • Communications and Media

    Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

  • Design

    Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • Telecommunications

    Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • Public Safety and Security

    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

  • Mathematics

    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

  • English Language

    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • Personnel and Human Resources

    Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

  • Transportation

    Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Career Video

Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

Pay

  • Typical Salary
  • $110,640
    $62,470
    $45,090
    Ohio
    US
    $141,860
    $85,310
    $49,580
  • Typical Hourly Wage
  • $53
    $30
    $22
    Ohio
    US
    $68
    $41
    $24

Ohio Employment Trends

  • Currently Employed 360
  • Yearly Projected Openings 30

Typical Education

Personality

Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.They do well at jobs that need:
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Integrity
  • Attention to Detail
  • Cooperation
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Dependability

Tools

  • Air samplers or collectors
  • Amino acid analyzers
  • Anaerobic chamber
  • Analytical balances
  • Atomic absorption AA spectrometers
  • Autosamplers
  • Bench refractometers or polarimeters
  • Blanching machinery
  • Blast freezers
  • Calorimeters
  • Color sensors
  • Colorimeters
  • Commercial use deep fryers
  • Commercial use food choppers or cubers or dicers
  • Commercial use food grinders
  • Commercial use food slicers
  • Commercial use griddles
  • Commercial use grills
  • Commercial use microwave ovens
  • Commercial use mixers
  • Commercial use ranges
  • Commercial use steamers
  • Conductivity meters
  • Cooking machinery
  • Crushing machinery
  • Cutting machinery
  • Darkfield microscopes
  • Dehydrating machinery
  • Dehydrators
  • Desktop computers
  • Dry wall single chamber carbon dioxide incubators
  • Electronic counters
  • Electrophoresis system accessories
  • Extracting equipment for laboratories
  • Fat extractors
  • Filling machinery
  • Flask or retort units
  • Fluorescent microscopes
  • Forced air or mechanical convection general purpose incubators
  • Freeze dryers or lyopholizers
  • Gas chromatographs
  • Gel documentation systems
  • High pressure liquid chromatograph chromatography
  • Homogenizers
  • Ice cream machines
  • Infrared spectrometers
  • Ion chromatographs
  • Juicing machinery
  • Kjeldahl nitrogen determination apparatus
  • Laboratory balances
  • Laboratory blenders or emulsifiers
  • Laboratory box furnaces
  • Laboratory diluters
  • Laboratory heat exchange condensers
  • Laboratory mechanical convection ovens
  • Laboratory membrane filters
  • Laboratory mills
  • Lasers
  • Light scattering equipment
  • Manual or electronic hematology differential cell counters
  • Mass spectrometers
  • Melting point recorders
  • Microbiological aircontrol equipment
  • Microbiology analyzers
  • Microcentrifuges
  • Microplate readers
  • Nephelometers
  • Nitrogen or nitrate or nitrite analyzer
  • Notebook computers
  • Orbital shaking water baths
  • Oscilloscopes
  • Oxygen gas analyzers
  • Packaging vacuum
  • Personal computers
  • Refrigerated benchtop centrifuges
  • Rheometers
  • Roasting machinery
  • Scanning electron microscopes
  • Solution strength estimation apparatus
  • Spectrofluorimeters or fluorimeters
  • Spectrometers
  • Standard fermentation units
  • Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
  • Sterilization cabinets
  • Stomachers
  • Strain gauges
  • Sugar analyzers
  • Temperature cycling chambers or thermal cyclers
  • Thermal differential analyzers
  • Thermo gravimetry analyzers
  • Tissue culture incubators
  • Vacuum or rotary evaporators
  • Viscosimeters
  • Water analysis systems
  • Water baths
  • X ray diffraction equipment
  • pH meters

Technology

  • Analytical or scientific software
  • Business intelligence and data analysis software
  • Customer relationship management CRM software
  • Data base user interface and query software
  • Electronic mail software
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • Object or component oriented development software
  • Office suite software
  • Presentation software
  • Sales and marketing software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Web platform development software
  • Word processing software

Tags

  • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.
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Workforce Supply Tool

The Workforce Supply Tool provides statistics for the occupations in highest demand throughout Ohio.

You can view statewide statistics as well as more region specific information.

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