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19-4013.00 - Food Science Technicians


Work with food scientists or technologists to perform standardized qualitative and quantitative tests to determine physical or chemical properties of food or beverage products. Includes technicians who assist in research and development of production technology, quality control, packaging, processing, and use of foods.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
Career Details
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Career Details
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Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Conduct standardized tests on food, beverages, additives, or preservatives to ensure compliance with standards and regulations regarding factors such as color, texture, or nutrients.
  • Provide assistance to food scientists or technologists in research and development, production technology, or quality control.
  • Compute moisture or salt content, percentages of ingredients, formulas, or other product factors, using mathematical and chemical procedures.
  • Record or compile test results or prepare graphs, charts, or reports.
  • Analyze test results to classify products or compare results with standard tables.
  • Taste or smell foods or beverages to ensure that flavors meet specifications or to select samples with specific characteristics.
  • Mix, blend, or cultivate ingredients to make reagents or to manufacture food or beverage products.
  • Measure, test, or weigh bottles, cans, or other containers to ensure that hardness, strength, or dimensions meet specifications.
  • Maintain records of testing results or other documents as required by state or other governing agencies.
  • Monitor and control temperature of products.
  • Perform regular maintenance of laboratory equipment by inspecting, calibrating, cleaning, or sterilizing.
  • Train newly hired laboratory personnel.
Generic
  • Supervise other food science technicians.
Supplemental
  • Examine chemical or biological samples to identify cell structures or to locate bacteria or extraneous material, using a microscope.
  • Order supplies needed to maintain inventories in laboratories or in storage facilities of food or beverage processing plants.
  • Prepare or incubate slides with cell cultures.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Production and Processing
  • 85%
    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 72%
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 Chemistry
  • 71%
    Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
 English Language
  • 68%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Clerical
  • 68%
    Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
 Computers and Electronics
  • 66%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 Food Production
  • 64%
    Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
 Education and Training
  • 60%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 Mechanical
  • 59%
    Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
 Public Safety and Security
  • 58%
    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
 Mathematics
  • 58%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Biology
  • 55%
    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
 Administration and Management
  • 51%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Microorganism propagation and transformation media and kits and equipment
  • Agar plates
 Fermentation equipment
  • Anaerobic jars
 Laboratory centrifuges and accessories
  • Benchtop centrifuges
 Clinical and diagnostic analyzers and accessories and supplies
  • Bioluminometers
 Laboratory baths
  • Boiling water baths
 Laboratory heating and drying equipment
  • Bunsen burners
  • Dessicators
  • Laboratory hot plates
 Temperature and heat measuring instruments
  • Calorimeters
  • Dry bulb thermometers
  • Handheld thermometers
  • Temperature probes
 Indicating and recording instruments
  • Colony counters
  • Metal detectors
 Light and wave generating and measuring equipment
  • Color testing equipment
 Viewing and observing instruments and accessories
  • Compound binocular light microscopes
  • Fluorescent microscopes
 Computers
  • Desktop computers
  • Notebook computers
  • Personal computers
 Laboratory decanting and distilling and evaporating and extracting equipment and supplies
  • Distilling equipment
  • Siphons
 Pipettes and liquid handling equipment and supplies
  • Dropping pipettes
  • Pasteur pipettes
 Weight measuring instruments
  • Electronic toploading balances
  • Laboratory balances
  • Moisture balances
  • Precision scales
  • Triple beam balances
 Chemical evaluation instruments and supplies
  • Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ELISA plate readers
  • Microwell readers
 General laboratory glassware and plasticware and supplies
  • Erlenmeyer flasks
  • Laboratory beakers
  • Laboratory funnels
  • Laboratory glass burets
  • Laboratory stirring rods
 Vision protection and accessories
  • Eyewash fountains
  • Safety goggles
 Fire fighting equipment
  • Fire extinguishers
 Laboratory enclosures and accessories
  • Fume hoods
 Gas analyzers and monitors
  • Gas analyzers
 Test Tubes
  • General purpose laboratory test tubes
 Laboratory boring and grinding and cutting and crushing and pressing equipment
  • Grinders
  • Mortars and pestles
 Laboratory blending and dispersing and homogenizing equipment and supplies
  • Homogenizers
  • Laboratory blenders
 Laboratory ovens and accessories
  • Hot air ovens
  • Laboratory convection ovens
  • Vacuum ovens
 Tissue culture and high throughput screening supplies
  • Inoculation tubes
  • Petri dishes
 Laboratory implements
  • Laboratory clamps
  • Laboratory knives
  • Laboratory tongs
  • Magnetic stir bars
 Safety apparel
  • Laboratory coats
  • Safety gloves
 Laboratory incubating equipment
  • Laboratory mechanical convection incubators
 Laboratory mixing and stirring and shaking equipment and supplies
  • Laboratory mixers
  • Magnetic stirrers
 Laboratory sieves and sifting equipment and supplies
  • Laboratory strainers
 Computer printers
  • Laser printers
 Holding and clamping tools
  • Magnetic retrievers
 Laboratory microscope slides and supplies
  • Microscope slides
 Humidity and moisture measuring instruments
  • Moisture meters
  • Wet bulb thermometers
 Laboratory electron and solid state physics equipment
  • Particle size testing equipment
 Electrochemical measuring instruments and accessories
  • pH meters
  • Universal indicators
 Decontamination aids and safety cleaning equipment
  • Safety showers
 Autoclave and sterilizer equipment and accessories
  • Steam autoclaves
  • Steam sterilizers
 Lamps and lightbulbs
  • Ultraviolet UV lights
 Fluid mechanics equipment
  • Viscosity testing equipment
  • Zhan cups
 Laboratory water purification equipment and supplies
  • Water activity meters
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Development software
  • Apache Jmeter
  • Apache StrutsHOT
  • Graphical user interfaces GUI
  • IBM WebSphereHOT
 Data management and query software
  • Database software
  • Microsoft AccessHOT
  • Microsoft SQL ServerHOT
  • Structure query language SQL
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Graphics software
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft PowerPointHOT
  • Microsoft VisioHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
  • Presentation software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Word processing software
 Information exchange software
  • IBM Lotus Notes
  • Microsoft OutlookHOT
 Operating environment software
  • LinuxHOT
 Business function specific software
  • Microsoft OfficeHOT
 Network applications software
  • Oracle WebLogic
  • Red Hat WildFlyHOT
 Finance accounting and enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • SAP softwareHOT
 Industry specific software
  • SASHOT
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific certifications are listed for this career
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Online Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

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J Sargeant Reynolds Community College
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Mountain Gateway Community College
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Northern Virginia Community College
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Virginia Peninsula Community College
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Wytheville Community College
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