I am a senior research associate in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Minnesota. A Food Scientist by training, I have come to work in the fields of Food Science and Food Engineering over the years. "You're a what? A food scientist and engineer?" - a common response to what I have to say about what I do for living.

Not many of us realize that foods on our table are results of scientific research efforts - we are so used to take high quality and nutritious food products for granted. We don't like cold cereals that become soggy within a very short time after poured into a bowl of milk, which is termed "short bowl life". If the biscuits we bought turned soft and rancid easily, we won't buy the same brands again. Many of us prefer fresh juice to pasteurized one and demand fresh juice free of E. coli contamination. We want low fat/low sugar/low salt foods but aren't willing to give up our thirst for the original sensory quality. The question is: who are going to make these high quality, safe and convenient food products for you? The answer is: "Food scientists and engineers". Today's food industry would simply go out of business without aggressive research and development by their high caliber food scientists and engineers. We food scientists and engineers are NOT cooks or chefs; rather we are well trained researchers.

So, what are Food Scientists and Engineers? According to the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), "Food Science is the discipline in which biology, physical sciences, and engineering are used to study the nature of foods, the causes of their deterioration, and the principles underlying food processing. Food Technology is the application of food science to the selection, preservation, processing, packaging, distribution, and use of safe, nutritious, and wholesome food. A Food Scientist studies the physical, microbiological, and chemical makeup of food. Depending on their area of specialization, Food Scientists may develop ways to process, preserve, package, or store food, according to industry and government specifications and regulations. Consumers seldom think of the vast array of foods and the research and development that has resulted in the means to deliver tasty, nutritious, safe, and convenient foods." Food Engineering is the application of engineering principles to the conversion of raw food materials into processed products. Food Engineers develop processes such as food manufacturing, packaging, storage and distribution of food products.