Our senses limit all scientific experiments. We always note what our results look, smell, or sound like, but how about taste? You might be surprised by how much science plays a role in cooking. When you boil it down, cooking is just manipulating chemical reactions for delicious results. The science of cooking has developed throughout thousands of years; from the first development of agriculture to the creation of artificial meat. Humans have always been trying to find better food to eat, either for survival or for taste. Food science is one of the oldest fields of science and one of the most important in our daily lives.
Food science is all about taking a scientific approach to cooking. This could include determining the optimal temperature to cook food or using unconventional chemical processes to invent new dishes. A career in food science could mean anything from developing food additives that increase shelf life to finding vegan alternatives to common foods. Food scientists also develop new and cheaper ways to ensure everyone has access to food. For example, food scientists develop genetically modified foods, which last longer and are more nutritious.
Not all food scientists are stuck in a lab. Some decide to take their skills straight to the kitchen! This type of food science is generally referred to as molecular gastronomy. This field fuses the science of chemistry with the art of cooking. If you're looking for a more dynamic environment, this might be more your speed.
Becoming a food scientist is fairly straightforward. Many universities offer majors in food science and similar fields like biochemistry or chemical engineering. If you wish to work in a high-end restaurant you might want to look into a culinary degree with a bit of chemistry on the side. The average pay of a food scientist is around 50,000-125,000 dollars a year. The average pay of a kitchen chemist varies from restaurant to restaurant, but it is around 150,000 dollars a year.
As people around the world start to feel the effects of climate change, the demand for accessible and nutritious food will go up as well as the need for foods that can survive higher temperatures and pollutants. As the environment changes, we will need scientists to develop food sources that can adapt. While they might be in a lab, food scientists keep people fed just as much as farmers.
If you´re interested in helping people around the world eat, developing new flavors, putting your spin on cooking, or finally taking a science class where you can eat the lab materials, maybe food science is the career for you!
About the Author
Jacob is a Junior at Northwood High School who enjoys playing the saxophone and learning new things. He hopes to study to become a particle physicist after graduation.
Sources
Castro, Andrea Robles. “How to Become a Molecular Gastronomy Chef | CIB.”
Blog.cib.education, blog.cib.education/en/how-to-become-a-molecular-cib-chef-chef. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.
https://www.howstuffworks.com. “How Molecular Gastronomy Works.” HowStuffWorks, 20
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U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “GMO Crops, Animal Food, and Beyond.” GMO Crops,
Animal Food, and Beyond, 3 Aug. 2022, www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-
“What Is Food Science?” Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry,
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