Food technologists make sure food products are produced safely, legally and to the quality claimed.

As a food technologist, your primary responsibility is to ensure that food products are safe and meet specific standards. It is likely you will also be involved in developing the manufacturing processes and recipes of food and drink products. This could involve working on both existing and newly-discovered ingredients to invent new recipes and concepts.

You may modify foods to create products such as fat-free items and will often work closely with the product development teams to help deliver factory-ready recipes, based on development kitchen samples. Keeping up with ever-changing food production regulations will be an essential part of your job.

Particular ethical debates related to food technology include the nutritional value and environmental impacts of manufactured food products.