Description
Apply chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and sensory science to develop, reformulate, and scale food products; analyze composition to verify nutrients and allergens; improve safety, quality, flavor, texture, and shelf life; and design processing, packaging, preservation, storage, and distribution methods in compliance with regulations.
- • Test prototypes for flavor, texture, color, nutrition, stability, and compliance.
- • Verify raw materials and finished goods for quality, safety, functionality, and nutrition.
- • Partner with engineers, suppliers, operations, and marketing to troubleshoot and scale up.
- • Evaluate processing and storage conditions; help build HACCP and quality programs.
- • Optimize formulations for composition, flavor, color, texture, nutrition, and convenience.
- • Study ingredient interactions and product changes during processing and shelf life.
- • Develop and validate preservation, processing, packaging, and storage methods.
- • Create product specs, process parameters, and QC standards; ensure sanitation and waste compliance.
- • Present product concepts and sensory data to clients or stakeholders.
- • Audit processing areas for sanitation, safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.
- • Identify and test alternatives to undesirable additives or allergens.
- • Develop and reformulate products based on consumer insights and cost targets.
- • Stay current on regulations, ingredients, and processing technologies.
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
