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Food Scientists and Technologists: reported tasks and exploration worksheet

Use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences to study the principles underlying the processing and deterioration of foods; analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein; discover new food sources; research ways to make processed foods safe, palatable, and healthful; and apply food science knowledge to determine best ways to process, package, preserve, store, and distribute food.

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This source lists 13 tasks, including 13 marked Core and 0 marked Supplemental. Labels and dates are retained below. Employers can combine or divide these responsibilities differently; explore the task itself before assuming it belongs in every version of the role.

Task source dates: 08/2025.

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13 tasks shown

Core · Task 7494 · 08/2025 · Occupational Expert

Inspect food processing areas to ensure compliance with government regulations and standards for sanitation, safety, quality, and waste management.

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Core · Task 7486 · 08/2025 · Occupational Expert

Check raw ingredients for maturity or stability for processing, and finished products for safety, quality, and nutritional value.

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Core · Task 7489 · 08/2025 · Occupational Expert

Study methods to improve aspects of foods, such as chemical composition, flavor, color, texture, nutritional value, and convenience.

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Core · Task 7492 · 08/2025 · Occupational Expert

Develop food standards and production specifications, safety and sanitary regulations, and waste management and water supply specifications.

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Core · Task 18612 · 08/2025 · Occupational Expert

Stay up to date on new regulations and current events regarding food science by reviewing scientific literature.

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Core · Task 7490 · 08/2025 · Occupational Expert

Study the structure and composition of food or the changes foods undergo in storage and processing.

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Core · Task 7487 · 08/2025 · Occupational Expert

Confer with process engineers, plant operators, flavor experts, and packaging and marketing specialists to resolve problems in product development.

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Core · Task 7485 · 08/2025 · Occupational Expert

Test new products for flavor, texture, color, nutritional content, and adherence to government and industry standards.

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Core · Task 18611 · 08/2025 · Occupational Expert

Develop new food items for production, based on consumer feedback.

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Core · Task 7491 · 08/2025 · Occupational Expert

Develop new or improved ways of preserving, processing, packaging, storing, and delivering foods, using knowledge of chemistry, microbiology, and other sciences.

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Core · Task 7488 · 08/2025 · Occupational Expert

Evaluate food processing and storage operations and assist in the development of quality assurance programs for such operations.

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Core · Task 7493 · 08/2025 · Occupational Expert

Demonstrate products to clients.

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Core · Task 7495 · 08/2025 · Occupational Expert

Seek substitutes for harmful or undesirable additives, such as nitrites.

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Source and practice material

Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.

Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.