Favourites
Not a student?
Further info
Are you
a problem solver? Try our
new game
Are you a problem solver? Try our new game
Apple with three syringes stuck in it

Food Science Technician

Ensuring food and drink products are great tasting and safe

How this role makes a difference

Every day, millions of fresh, creative and tasty food products are made, packed, and sold for the enjoyment of consumers in the UK and around the world. Every product needs to meet the safety standards of the country it’s made in and the countries where it’s sold.

People can have allergies to some ingredients, so measures are taken to stop the wrong ingredients being mixed in by mistake and to make sure packaging is labelled properly. A lot of time is also spent improving and creating new products. You could be the technician who helps to ensure food and drink products are great-tasting, labelled correctly and safe to eat and drink.

The kind of work you’ll do

  • Collecting, interpreting, and analysing data
  • Specifying ingredients and organising their storage, handling and quality checks
  • Meeting with suppliers of raw materials and assessing taste and quality
  • Costing and comparing the costs of different products
  • Contributing to new product ideas
  • Overseeing and auditing processes to make sure safety standards are met
  • Liaising with manufacturing and production teams
  • Helping to improve systems and processes
Useful skills
Attention to detail
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Communicating complex ideas
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Precise
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Instructing others
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the role

A strong interest in food and drink.

An aptitude for following recipes in detail and trying out new recipe ideas.

A thorough approach to your work and recording information.

Natural ability to communicate ideas and complex processes to other people.

A knack for putting what you’ve learned into practice and teaching others what you’ve learned.

Maturity about following procedures.

This role could also be right for you if you have any of the following interests:

- food and drinks

- science

£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per year *
£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per month *

Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities

You could be employed by a grower, a large or small food manufacturer, or by a retailer, such as a major UK supermarket.

Once you have experience, possible roles include technical manager, quality assurance, process development, new product development or auditor.

There may be the opportunity to travel as part of your role, either to discover new foods and ingredients internationally or to promote products to other countries.

How to get into this role

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:  

  • A T-level in Science after you finish your GCSEs 
  • An apprenticeship as a Food Technologist after finishing school or college

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

You will develop an understanding of the complete food journey, from field to fork, and can help drive a manufacturing process that protects the nutritious ingredients in food for the benefit of people’s health. The ingredients you choose and where you source them from can also have a positive impact on the environment and communities. More local sourcing can reduce transportation time and carbon emissions, while sourcing internationally can provide vital work opportunities to people in developing countries.

Other job titles...

This role can also be known by some other job titles including:

Food Technologist

Discover
technicians who
do this role

Jemma Green

Food Science Technician

Jemma Green
Paper aeroplane

What are your next steps?

Discover our expert advice on the different pathways available and how to get into your dream role.

3 glass beakers and vases with different amounts of red liquid in

Browse more technican roles

Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.
Like the sound of
this role? Read a technician's story