Careers in the Food Industry

The food industry is the biggest business in Victoria and food exporting is rapidly becoming one of the country's major export earners. With new products being developed and new markets to supply, there are a range of careers for food scientists and technologists.

Graduate Profiles

Robin George
Bachelor of Food Science (2008)
1 year Graduate Traineeship at Inghams Enterprises

Robin was employed 2 weeks after course completion.

Will spend time in various areas of the company to receive broad professional experience, in areas such as production, processing, quality assurance and product development

Jessie Liu (China)
Bachelor of Food Science (2008)

Hope to work as a research scientist for Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) or Department of Primary Industries (DPI) in the area of Climate Change.

Dr Marisa Collins
Post-Doctoral Fellow, CSIRO Plant Industry
PhD (Faculty of Land & Food Resources), Bachelor of Science (Honours)

Photo : Dr Marisa Collins The focus of my PhD was to investigate the effects of deficit irrigation strategies including partial rootzone drying (PRD) on Shiraz grapevines. As water becomes a more limited resource both PRD and deficit irrigation strategies are becoming popular with wine grape growers in Australia. My project investigated the effect that deficit irrigation had upon vine physiology, water relations and grape quality.

The entry pathway I followed into my PhD was to do a Bachelor of Science with honours, then take 18 months off to work (12 months) and travel (6 months).

My current position with CSIRO is as a post-doctoral fellow under Dr Brian Loveys in Adelaide. I am working on a four-year project that has two major aims. The first aim is to characterise major wine grape varieties in terms of drought resistance and then investigate the implications of their water-use behaviour in response to deficit irrigation. The second aim of my project is to examine the effect of extreme heat events on major wine grape varieties.

There are many benefits of under-taking a PhD, with the most obvious being; it significantly increases the job-options available after you graduate, in both your field and other fields. Many employers view a PhD as a very valuable qualification as it is tangible evidence of your ability to focus and think critically, work independently and not to mention being able to commit to finishing a project.

Careers in the Food Industry:

Manufacturing
Turning raw ingredients like milk into food products such as icecream, yoghurt and cheese.
Market Surveying
Surveying and monitoring changing public tastes in food and recommending product development.
Post Harvest Technology
Packaging, transporting and storing food to ensure maximum quality and profitability.
Product Development
Researching and developing new food products for mass consumption.
Quality Assurance
Ensuring health and safety standards are maintained.
Winemaking and Brewing
Developing new products for the wine and beer industries. Researching consumer tastes and advising on new product development.

Courses in the Food Industry:

Undergraduate (view all)

Bachelor of Science with majors in:

Biotechnology
Food Science

Graduate Coursework (view all)

Graduate Research (view all)

Further information on courses or study can be obtained by telephoning the University of Melbourne on (03) 8344 0276 or 1800 815 803 or email courses@landfood.unimelb.edu.au