About Food Science and Technology
To help consumers make informed decisions about the food they eat, IFT has developed IFT Food Facts to provide consumers with news they can use in their daily lives.
What is Food Science?
- Food science is the study of the physical, biological, and chemical makeup of food; the causes of food deterioration; and the concepts underlying food processing.
- Food scientists and technologists apply scientific disciplines including chemistry, engineering, microbiology, and nutrition to the study of food to improve the safety, nutrition, wholesomeness and availability of food.
- Depending on their area of specialization, food scientists may develop ways to process, preserve, package, and/or store food according to industry and government specifications and regulations.
What is Food Technology?
- Food technology is the application of food science to the selection, preservation, processing, packaging, distribution, and use of safe food.
- Related fields include analytical chemistry, biotechnology, engineering, nutrition, quality control, and food safety management.
What is Food Processing and Manufacturing?
- Food processing is the treatment of food substances by changing their properties to preserve it, improve its quality or make it functionally more useful.
- Food processors take raw animal, vegetable, or marine materials and transform them into edible products through the application of labor, machinery, energy, and scientific knowledge.
- Chemical, biological, and mechanical processes are used to convert relatively bulky, perishable, and typically inedible food materials into shelf-stable, convenient, and palatable foods and beverages.
- Food processing is one of the largest manufacturing industries in the United States.
- According to the FDA, there are approximately 44,000 food processors and 113,000 food warehouses in the U.S. that provide processed foods to our country, and exports throughout the world. The processors include canners, producers, wineries, and other food and beverage manufacturers and distributors.
- There are more than 1.2 million retail food facilities (restaurants, grocery stores, and others) that serve or sell foods directly to consumers.
What is Food Research?
Food research is the careful, systematic study, investigation, and compilation of information about foods and their components.
What is Food Manufacturing? Food manufacturing is the mass production of food products from raw animal and plant materials, using principles of food technology.
What is Product Development?
Product development is the creation of new flavors, colors or varieties of existing products and/or the creation of entirely new products.
What is Quality Assurance and Quality Control?
Both quality assurance and quality control involve the process of ensuring that products are manufactured correctly and that ingredients and finished products are tested and meet safety and quality specifications.
What is Food Regulation?
Food regulation is the process of determining standards for products, defining safety, and inspecting products. Regulations are set by governments.
More Food Facts
How Brown Rice Becomes White Rice
In this Food Facts video, Paul Counce, a professor at the University of Arkansas’s Rice Research and Extension Center, explains the process behind how brown rice becomes white rice.
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Tapping Into the Protein Power of Pulses
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Expert Sustainability Insights Exclusively for Members
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The Question: Should We Eat More Processed Foods?
An Oxford debate at this year’s IFT FIRST: Annual Event & Expo tackled the health impacts of processed foods, the legitimacy of NOVA food classification, even the language framing the debate itself.
IFTNEXT
Episode 18: Food Manufacturing in the time of COVID-19
With the rapid spread of COVID-19, the global food system has been pulled into new and uncertain territory. New recommendations for personal and public safety, the global nature of the pandemic, and resulting shifts in consumer behavior have all contributed to this uncertainty. This episode of Food Disruptors is one of several that will explore the immediate and lasting effects that COVID-19 may have on the food industry. Today, we’re going to speak with experts in food manufacturing and food safety. Listeners will learn what COVID-19 means for food production and how the food industry can ensure food safety in this unique environment.