Food Science

Choose an emphasis area that matches your interests and career goals. Select from: food processing, business, science or nutrition.

Isolate food spoilage bacteria in the microbiology lab, collect data about taste at a state-of-the-art sensory lab, and manufacture and package meat, dairy and cereal products in on-campus processing facilities. Your senior year, you’ll draw on everything you’ve learned when you develop your own new food product. Past senior-year products have placed nationally in product development competitions.

Learn from faculty members who are researching some of the food industry’s most pressing problems.

Our faculty and staff will provide personal academic and career guidance and help you locate job and internship opportunities. You'll graduate well prepared for widely available and competitively salaried careers as food scientists. You may also choose to continue your education in the food science graduate program at the University of Idaho or at a medical or pharmaceutical school.

Some food science classes are taught at nearby Washington State University, which collaborates with the University of Idaho to offer food science students access to the facilities and expertise of both universities.

Prepare for Success

This major is a good fit if you can see yourself:

• Using your creativity to develop food products with novel flavors, textures and colors.
• Working in teams of people from many disciplines, including chemistry, microbiology, engineering and marketing.
• Improving the quality and safety of food products.

A career in food science requires a solid foundation in microbiology and chemistry. You must be passionate about science and discovery, but you should also be imaginative and creative. To prepare, take related courses in high school that will help build your scientific knowledge and research and laboratory skills.

Your First Year

Below are some of the classes students may take during the first year of the four-year undergraduate program in food science:

• Introduction to Food Science
• Principles of Chemistry
• Introductory to Microbiology
• College Writing and Rhetoric 
• Survey of Calculus
• Food Safety and Quality
• Core Courses

See the four-year plan.

What You Can Do

With a Bachelor of Science in Food Science, you may become a:

• Food product developer
• Food research scientist
• Food quality assurance manager
• Dairy fermentation scientist
• Confection technologist
• Flavor chemist
• Sensory scientist
• Pet food developer
• Food safety microbiologist
• Regulatory inspector
• Technical sales representative
• Food plant operations manager

You may also choose to pursue an advanced degree in food science. The following graduate programs are available through the School of Food Science at the University of Idaho and Washington State University:

• Master of Science in Food Science
• Doctorate in Food Science

Opportunities

The food and beverage industry is the largest manufacturing industry in the United States. There are more job openings in the U.S. and throughout the world than there are graduates to fill them. One hundred percent of our recent food science graduates are employed upon graduation, with starting salaries averaging $50,000. Our graduates are recruited by well-known industry leaders, including:

• Sorrento Lactalis
• Cargill
• Continental Mills 
• ConAgra
• Gallo Wines
• General Mills
• Safeway 
• Heinz 
• J.R. Simplot
• Kraft Foods Inc.
• Nabisco, Inc.
• TIC Gums 
• Dairigold 
• Trident Seafoods
• Ste. Michelle Wine Estates

Current Research

There are over 20 faculty in the School of Food Science conducting leading food science research that focuses on supporting globally competitive agriculture, protecting the environment and encouraging community development. Faculty research programs include efforts to:

• Improve the uses of Idaho potato products.
• Enhance the quality of dairy products.
• Develop new edible food coatings and biopreservatives.
• Improve antioxidant retention in processed berry products.
• Decrease river pollution by recycling food wastes from food plants.
• Develop gluten-free grain alternatives.

Activities

Food Science Club : Provides opportunities to collaborate with other food science students and to build valuable professional networks. The club organizes the North Idaho Annual Chili Cook-off and coordinates industry field trips and presentations by practicing professionals.

Hands-On Experience

At the University of Idaho, you will engage in leading research that is making a real difference in the food industry and the well-being of people in the region, nation and throughout the world. You'll work in first-class laboratories and have excellent opportunities for hands-on professional and research experience through food science internships with major food industry companies. In fact, a recent student of the food science bachelor's program developed a new ice cream flavor during her internship with the Schwan Food Company.

Facilities

Food science students have access to first-class laboratory space and equipment housed in the University of Idaho Agriculture Biotechnology Building, Agriculture Science Building and Food Research Center. As part of the School of Food Science, students have access to facilities at neighboring Washington State University including the WSU Creamery and a food processing pilot plant.

Online & Outreach

The University of Idaho Food Technology Center in Caldwell, Idaho, is a multi-use facility that provides business, technical and processing assistance to help entrepreneurs and food companies improve their food businesses.