1 - The Food Engineer

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the scope of food engineer and food engineering, which is considered as a specialized field of engineering. Food engineering is becoming more of an area of training on the job by the food industry than a strict requirement by food processing companies. Food engineers use computers extensively to produce and analyze products, processes, or plant designs to simulate and test how a machine or food system operates, and to generate specifications for foods, machinery, or packaging. Food engineers may also use computers to monitor product quality and safety, and to control process efficiency. Food nanotechnology, which involves the ability to control or manipulate the product at the atomic scale, is introducing innovating principles into product and process design. Food engineering is recognized by professional societies such as the Institute of Food Technologists, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. As a specialized professional, the food engineer may obtain his or her skills mainly through a university degree or industrial experience. Several universities across the United States offer a formal academic training in food engineering. Agricultural engineering departments are the common avenues to become specialized in the engineering aspects of food processing. However, it is not uncommon to have graduates in food science pursue the engineering specialization. In fact, it is a requirement that food science students take a course in the principles of food process engineering. However, food scientists generally lack rigorous training in applied mathematics such as the use of differential equations to solve heat and mass transfer problems, plant design, or simulation of systems.