The Golden Courses: Food Science & Dietetics

The Golden Courses

Why Do I Love Food Science?

Food science is the basic science and applied science of food. Food science is the study of the physical, biological and chemical makeup of food and the concepts of underlying food processing.

Back to the days we were younger, innocent and ignorant all we know was whatever our parents, teachers and the society taught us. Whenever we were asked what wanted to become in the future? The answers doctor, lawyers, pilot, musician and other notable profession were not far from our lips.

For me, I would always answer that I wanted to be a medical doctor but as I grew older and started involving myself in career talks with friends, I got to know Food science as a profession. At first I was fascinated by the name food, I even thought it was something related to cooking, like the normal mentality everyone still has towards the profession which I hope anyone who is reading this will have a better understanding of what food science is truly about. So when I got the opportunity to check it up, I got a better understanding about Food Science.

In the course of my research, I was able to understand that most food scientist work in the research and development departments of food processing companies.

In every country, food is very essential, in other words we eat food every day and there is no way we are going to survive without food. Food scientists are concerned with producing enough food to feed the growing world population. A career in food science is an exciting field where scientists, technologists, researchers, engineers get to ‘play’ each day. Food scientists combine their knowledge in science, technology and sensory research to develop safe and innovative food product for the people and market.

The best part I love about food science is that it has diverse opportunities to learn, grow and make a difference around the world.

Food scientist can work in almost every section;

1. Academic section as a lecturer lecturing in a tertiary intuition, teacher teaching subjects like Home Economics, Food and Nutrition in a secondary school.

2. Some work in the research and development of food processing companies.

3. Some work in processing plants as quality control inspectors or production supervisors.

4. Some work for the government as food graders and inspectors.

5. Some work in sales or advertising section of food processing companies.

6. Some become top managers in their companies

Others work in the health section

Food scientists are not kitchen technicians like people will say “chef”. A food scientist can know what a caterer is doing but a caterer cannot know what a food scientist is doing. We are more of laboratory experts and analysts. We do research not cooking!

What is Dietetics?

With the emphasis today on healthy eating in schools, at home and even in the workplace, more people are seeing nutritionists and companies are choosing dietetic specialists to educate the public on healthy eating.

Dietetics is a field of science that determines how nutrition and good eating affect our overall health. While this field offers a strong focus on public health. It main purpose us to educate everyone on the importance of making proper and smart dietary choices. Those who work in this field are called dietitians. A dietitian is an expert in dietetics that is human nutrition and the regulation of diet. A dietitian alters their patient’s nutrition based upon their medical condition and individual needs.

They are regulated healthcare professionals licensed to assess, diagnose and treat nutritional problems. A dietitian may work in an office setting in a public health department administering medical nutrition therapy as part of medical teams, often in hospitals, health-maintenance organizations, or may work independently in schools or with a specific population. A growing number of dietitians work in the food industry, journalism, sports nutrition, corporate wellness programs, and other non-traditional dietetics settings.

A dietitian might travel to schools, to provide students with information and training on healthy eating. When they work in an office setting, they see clients who come to them for assistance in meeting their dietary needs. Dietitians and nutritionists are an important part of our food service management and healths are teams. Other duties of a dietetic specialist might include;

i. Collaborating with food manufacturers to improve the nutritional quality of prepared meals.

ii. Researching how dietary changes affect health

iii. Improving the understanding and accuracy food labels.

iv. Increasing public awareness of nutritional habits and standards

v. Creating facility wide nutritional programs for correctional, educational and health care institutions.

Article By:

Iyiola Grace Omowumi

Food, Nutrients & Health.

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References:

https://explorehealthcareers.org/field/nutrition-dietetics/

https://www.healthcare-administration-degree.net/faq/what-is-dietetics/