Food Engineer
Food Engineers and Food Scientists are primarily involved in improving the quality of agricultural crops (which are processed as food for human consumption), developing various processed foods, improving the quality and quantity of various nutrients in processed foods, monitor production of processed foods and control the quality.
As a Food Engineer, you will monitor and handle the operations of food processing and production plants. You will have to ensure that every processed and packaged food product is suitable for human consumption. It will be your duty to apply the knowledge and principles of Biochemical Engineering and food processing to food products to enhance the quality of processed food items. You will be responsible for designing the processing, handling, and packaging equipment/systems. Also, a part of your job responsibility is to find better and more cost-efficient ways to process, preserve, package, and distribute the processed/packed food products.
As a Food Scientist, you will basically be involved in the research and development and quality control/assurance process of food production and manufacturing. Your job will require you to study the chemical composition and structure of food products; monitor the chemical changes that take place in the food products; to find new and enhanced sources of protien and nutrition; to study the effects of food additives on various food items; to develop food substitutes with similar nutrintional value (for example, meat substitutes are made from soybeans), and to monitor and analyze the flavor, texture, and appearance of processed/packaged food products.
Key Roles & Responsibilities
To apply the knowledge and principles of the various sciences (microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry, etc.) and engineering to study and understand food processing.
To analyze the nutritional content (fat, calories, protein, etc.), colour, flavour and texture of various food items.
To discover new food sources and find alternative sources of specific food items.
To come up with cost-efficient ways to feed the growing global population.
To coordinate and supervise independent laboratory testing.
To research and develo ways/techniques to make processed and packaged food products nutritious, healthy, and safe for human consumption.
To research and develop methods to enhance or improve certain aspects of foods like flavor, color, texture, and nutritional value.
To test different kinds of food samples for moulds, yeast, bacteria, and any other contaminants that may be harmful.
To study the chemical changes that occur in processed/packaged/stored food items.
To carefully record and document all research data for future use.
To collaborate with Food Engineers or Scientists (depending upon your job designation) and microbiologists, packaging specialists, etc., to develop better ways of selecting, preserving, processing, packaging, and distributing food products.
To inspect food processing plants to monitor and check if they meet the sanitary and waste management protocol.
To ensure that all the food manufacturing processes conform with industry standards and government regulations.
To evaluate existing equipment and systems and perform troubleshooting tasks for any glitches in the systems.
To research, design, and implement innovative and cost-efficient methods of manufacturing that fulfil both customer and regulatory requirements.
Investigative: You should have interests for Investigative Occupations. Investigative occupations involve working with ideas and quite a lot of thinking, often abstract or conceptual thinking. These involve learning about facts and figures; involve use of data analysis, assessment of situations, decision making and problem solving.
Realistic: You should have interests for Realistic Occupations. Realistic occupations involve more practical and hands-on activities than paperwork or office work. Realistic occupations often involve physical activities for getting things done using various tools and equipment.
Abilities
Abstract Reasoning: The ability to understand ideas which are not expressed in words or numbers; the ability to understand concepts which are not clearly expressed verbally or otherwise.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules and common logic to specific problems to produce answers that are logical and make sense. For example, understanding the reasons behind an event or a situation using general rules and common logic.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information from various sources, concepts, and theories to form general rules or conclusions. For example, analysing various events or situations to come out with a set of rules or conclusions.
Inter-Personal: The ability to build and maintain good relationships with others at workplaces and elsewhere.
Naturalistic Intelligence: The ability to recognise different flora and fauna of the world; sensitivity towards nature and natural surrounding; sensitivity towards the needs of different flora and fauna.
Numerical Reasoning: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and perform other basic numerical calculations correctly.
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or innovative ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Spatial Ability: The ability to visualise three dimensional objects by looking at the objects in paper or visualise objects mentally in three dimensions.
Verbal Reasoning: The ability to think and reason with words; the ability to reason out ideas expressed in words.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Knowledge
Biological Sciences: Knowledge of plants and animals, their anatomical structure, cell structure, tissues, physiological functions, evolution, and all other related aspects.
Chemical Science: 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, toxicity, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of various applications of one or more branches of Engineering Science & Technology to manufacture and produce various goods or construct or erect various structures. This include knowledge about design, development, prototype testing, manufacturing, construction, installation, repair and maintenance (relevant for Food Engineers and Technologists).
Physical Science: Knowledge of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understand fluid, material, earth, ocean, atmosphere, and space dynamics, as well as mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures, properties and processes (relevant for Food Engineers and Technologists).
Technical and Engineering Design: Knowledge of various techniques, methods, specifications and tools for creating, developing and laying out designs of various machines, equipment, devices, manufacturing plants, structures, systems and processes. This includes developing blueprints, drawing and models (relevant for Food Engineers and Technologists).
Skills
Active Learning: Focused and continuous learning from various sources of information, observation and otherwise for application in getting work done.
Coordination: Skills in working together with other people to get things done.
Critical Thinking: Skills in analysis of complex situations, using of logic and reasoning to understand the situations and take appropriate actions or make interpretations and inferences.
Judgment and Decision Making: Skills in considering pros and cons of various decision alternatives; considering costs and benefits; taking appropriate and suitable decisions.
Operations and Process Analysis: Skills in analysis of operations and processes such as industrial manufacturing, chemical processing, etc. so as to device better and more efficient operational processes and systems (relevant for Food Engineers and Technologists).
Problem Solving: Skills in analysis and understanding of problems, evaluating various options to solve the problems and using the best option to solve the problems.
Process and Operation Controlling: Skills in controlling processes and operations of various machines, equipment, devices and systems using different types electrical and electronic control instruments and systems (relevant for Food Engineers and Technologists).
Quality Control Analysis: Skills in conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Reading Comprehension: Skills in understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Scientific: Skills in using various scientific rules and methods to get things done or solve problems.
Technical: Skills in using various technologies and technical methods to get things done or solve problems.
Technical Design and Drawing: Skills in creating and developing designs and drawings for various structures, machines, equipment, and devices (relevant for Food Engineers and Technologists).
Personality
