8 Facts About Food Research Technologists

When you walk down the aisles of a supermarket have you ever thought about who came up with the ideas for these products?

Who came up with the flavour for blue raspberry cookies? How were they able to make them last so long? How did they make these cookies so crunchy?

The answer to all these questions is: food product developers!

Depending on the company, food product developers may also be referred to as food scientists, food technologists, or Research and Development (R&D). This will depend on the size of the company and the scope of their role. For the purpose of this profile we will narrow the scope to those that develop and improve food recipes at companies. If you want to learn more about food scientists than flip to the other profile in this book!

When you walk down the aisles of a supermarket have you ever thought about who came up with the ideas for these products?

Who came up with the flavour for blue raspberry cookies? How were they able to make them last so long? How did they make these cookies so crunchy?

The answer to all these questions is: food technologists!

Depending on the company, food product developers may also be referred to as food scientists, food technologists, or Research and Development (R&D). This will depend on the size of the company and the scope of their role. For the purpose of this profile we will narrow the scope to those that develop and improve food recipes at companies.

1. Food technologists make new food products

Food product developers are professionals who develop new food products and processes starting from the initial conception and continuing well beyond the commercialization of the product. These products must satisfy product performance, sensory, shelf life, and safety/regulation requirements. They look at what’s popular and use the latest technology to come up with ideas for new products.

A big part of a product developer’s job is running trials of new products. Trial runs can be on a small scale (ex., one batch on a stove) or on a large scale (ex., running the product in a large plant trial). No matter the size, they need to safely set up and operate process equipment. If the trial is run on a large scale this could involve many employees. Depending on the product, a product developer could perform over a hundred different trials!

During each trial, they test the product to see if it’s what they want. For example, if the product has the correct pH or texture. They get good at following procedures and doing tests that are specific to each product. Once they are satisfied with the procedures they will develop Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) and valid testing methods. They keep track of all the data and calculations they get from the trials. This way, they can write a summary of what they did, how they did it, and what they found out. All this information is than utilized by operations when they start to produce the products.

2. Food Technologists work with every department 

If you have read any of the “8 Facts” articles you will notice that the departments in food factories work together. However, this is especially true with research and development. Product developers need the support of every department because once a product is greenlit for a company every department needs to be involved.

Let’s give an example of how R&D works with every department. To begin, R&D may be assigned a specific product to develop based on a consumer trend discovered by the marketing department. For example, blue raspberry cookies might be trending on TikTok. Using that inspiration, the product developer will get to work creating different batches of cookies.

Throughout the trial process the food product developer will work with the food safety and quality departments to ensure the product follows all the food safety requirements. For example, they should ensure that they are purchasing ingredients from reputable sources. This goes hand in hand with the costing/ purchasing department, which ensures these ingredients are also within budget.

Last but not least (and certainly the most important) R&D works with production and operations to schedule plant trials to see how feasible it is to actually create these cookies with the operational capabilities they have now.

3.  Food Technologists have degrees in the sciences 

Food product developers have a broad range of educational backgrounds which include nutrition, food science, chemistry, engineering, or culinary arts. Some professionals even have a two-year diploma in technology programs offered by universities and colleges while others have four-year degrees.

Although it is not a requirement, Some employers like product developers who have a master’s or PhD in food science. This is because having a higher degree can help them understand analyze various processes involved in research, development and innovation.

Generally, these food product developers have work experience in another department prior to entering this position. It is not uncommon for food product developers to start in a quality control/assurance position as this gives workers a better perspective on how food is handled during production.

4. Food Technologists are problem solvers

Food product developers always run into problems when they are developing new products. Whether it’s discovering that their formulation simply doesn’t work or that the taste isn’t right, they must adapt and problem solve. They use their creativity to come up with unique solutions that can be thought of intuitively. Food product developers research, research and research some more  to explore if others have already come across this problem before.

5. Food Technologists listen to the demands of consumers

The key to developing a successful product is to create one that solves the problems of your target customers. For example, a consumer demand could be a sustainable vegan frozen dinner that could be eaten on the go. It’s up to the food product developer to create a product that satisfies this need. However, they must be prepared for a lot of trial and error. Sometimes everything looks good on paper but once it reaches the customer it simply doesn’t sell. That is why it is important to keep up with current trends!

6. Food Technologists follow regulations

Did you know that foods have to follow standards of identity? A “standardized food” is a food for which a standard of identity has been set in regulations. Food with prescribed standards must include only the stated ingredients within the prescribed limits.

For example, ice cream is required to have a minimum of 10% dairy milk fat and contain no more than 100%. Therefore, when food scientists are creating new products they must adhere to regulations. In today’s market these envelopes are constantly being changed. In Canada these regulations are set out by the Canadian Food Inspection agency.

7. Food Technologists have technical, practical and scientific knowledge

Product development combines the scientific disciplines of chemistry, engineering, microbiology and nutrition in order to improve the processing, preservation, and packaging of food. Throughout their careers they spend a lot of time researching and performing studies. If they don’t know something they contact outside sources (like colleges). For example, they might set up a shelf study with three different functional ingredients and outline how they act over time. They need to have the technical knowledge of how these functional ingredients work, the practical knowledge of working with them in the lab and the scientific knowledge of how they apply to their product

8. Food Technologists have these set of skills

Being a food product developer requires a range of skills however there are a few that are more essential than others. These skills include:

• • Organization: An essential skill that any product developer needs is the ability to organize their time and projects. You need to be flexible sometimes discussing a product with your boss in the morning and jumping into a plant trial later. Unless you are organized with your time you’ll never be able to manage it all.
  • Persistence: Sometimes products take a long time to develop over time enthusiasm can diminish. When a product developer believes in their products they keep going. Reminding all teams of the merits of the products and encouraging people to keep going with them Sometimes a product can go through hundreds of iterations before becoming successful.
  • Creativity- To stay relevant in potential markets it’s important that businesses stay one step ahead of the competition. Creativity is the quality that enables product developers to generate solutions to problems. They need to come up with ideas that haven’t been thought of before.

Author: Veronica Hislop Veronica is a recent FoodGrad working as Quality Assurance Technician at a snack food company. She graduated with a Chemistry degree at Ryerson University and has a passion for bringing awareness to sustainability in the food industry. When Veronica is taking a break from her food endeavours you will find her at home reading a great novel and playing with her cats.