Food Engineering and Materials Science

Food engineering is the application of engineering concepts for the storage, processing and distribution of food materials and their bio-products. It needs sound engineering education as well as basic training in chemistry and food science. The purpose of this evolving field is to advance the implementation of efficient industrial processing in the transformation of raw materials of biological origin into edible forms, which includes packaging, storage, and distribution.

The study of the properties of solid materials and how those properties are determined by a material’s composition and structure is called as Materials Science

• Chemical and Physical Aspects of Food
• Food Texture and Properties
• Biotechnology in Food Processing

Food Materials Science and Engineering represents a wide variety of topics related to food materials, their properties and characterization methods, providing a new approach to understanding food processing and quality control.

Food Engineering involves study of engineering concepts and unit operations used in food processing. Engineering principles should include mechanics, fluid mechanics, transfer and rate processes, and process control instrumentation. Prerequisites should be one course in physics and competency in algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.

Materials science is an area of rapid growth in the larger field of food science. It is an applied area overlapping food science and food engineering that is concerned with structure, properties and processing of the materials used in food as well as their production and breakdown. Quality, convenience and safety are the major drivers of the modern food industry.

Materials scientists do everything from fundamental research on the chemical properties of materials to developing new materials and modifying formulations of existing materials to suit new applications. They work with engineers and processing specialists, in pilot plants, and in manufacturing facilities