Overview
Technical Professionals in the food industry ensure the safety and quality of food products;
this includes improving existing products and launching new products; working with operational teams to develop good practices and procedures; and developing good relationships with internal and external customers. They may be employed by a grower, a food manufacturer or by a retailer.
Technical professionals use their knowledge to ensure the smooth transition of food and drink products from the farm to the fork. They ensure that technical and quality standards are achieved whilst maximising profitability to meet customer requirements.
What skills will you learn as part of your Food Industry Technical Professional Degree Apprenticeship?
Food Supply Chain Management:Supply chain management practices and systems to assure the safety, quality and legality of all raw materials, ingredients, goods and services in the work setting.
Food Composition : Scientific principles underpinning food chemistry and physics: composition of food and its nutritional value and trends; Microbiological Ecology and Pathogens
The Physics of Heating and Cooling Food: parameters that influence common industry processes: washing, mixing, heating, cooking, cooling/chilling, freezing, drying, freeze drying
Food Safety, HACCP and Risk Assessment: Factors governing food safety, integrity and sustainability. Develop product specifications taking into account the key risk factors in product design; ensure customer pre-requisites are implemented and followed.
Food Processing Technology : Underlying principles of various common food processes: mixing and blending, batch and continuous cooking/baking, aseptic processing, canning, pasteurisation, retorting and UHT, enrobing, cooling and freezing
Food Conversion Operations and Packaging Technology: Characteristics of packaging systems to control food safety hazards and quality, including understanding of ultra-heat treatment/aseptic/Cook-Chill/modified atmosphere systems and managing product flow to assure shelf life compliance at all stages
Practices in Food Product Development: New Product design: specification, scaling-up and technical feasibility and cost analysis. Develop product specifications taking into account the key risk factors in product design; ensure customer pre-requisites are implemented and followed
Food Operation Management: How to plan, manage and review operational processes, monitor costs and Key Performance Indicators
Food Quality Management and Labelling: ensuring quality of products; food allergy and intolerance management, including labelling requirements and management systems for control of allergens in manufacturing
What types of jobs will this Degree Apprenticeship qualify me to do?
There are a wide variety of Technical Professional roles: Assistant Food Technical Manager, Quality Manager, Shift Quality Manager, Hygiene Manager, Product Innovation and Development Technologist.
What Qualifications will I have at the end of the Degree Apprenticeship?
BSc in Food Science and Technology. You will also be eligible to apply for membership with the Institute of Food Science & Technology and attain Registered Scientist status
Where can I find vacancies?
To search for opportunities, visit our list of Degree Apprenticeships Vacancies.
