Professional profile Food Science and Technology

Thanks to his/her specific technical and scientific preparation and broad-spectrum skills, the Master's graduate in Food Science and Technology can operate in various fields of work both at a national and international level and with different roles, including individual consultancy activity (freelance) and subordinate or managerial tasks within a production and control structure.

He/she can represent a point of reference to address all aspects relating to the food production chain, in particular:

• Management, administration and management functions in companies working in the food production, transformation, conservation and marketing sector.
• Study, design, management of systems and manufacturing processes for food and food-related biological products.
• Conduction of chemical, physical and microbiological analyses on raw materials, semi-finished, and finished food products to control their quality and to define the standards and specifications for their production.
• Research and development of processes and products in the food sector.

Graduates also have skills that can be used to carry out collective catering activities in company canteens, public canteens and hospital canteens in collaboration with other professional figures.

Following qualification for the State Exam and registration with the Order of Food Technologists (L.59/94), the Master's graduate in Food Science and Technology acquires the right to assume responsibility for certain activities (e.g. analysis) and can carry out some additional activities such as expert and arbitration functions in the courts and participation in food planning activities in collaboration with other professionals.

The main skills of the master's graduate in Food Science and Technology are:

1. a solid cultural basis relating to basic knowledge in the fields of mathematics, physics, statistics, computer science, chemistry and biology, with particular reference to application aspects;
2. a solid cultural and scientific, multidisciplinary basis relating to production, process, control, distribution and marketing of the food chain including aspects relating to human health and sustainability.
3. an adequate knowledge of the scientific method, which allows to solve with scientific rigor, technical effectiveness, economic advantage, and sustainability, all the multiple application and forecasting problems related to: i) food production along the whole agri-food chain, ii) the development and optimization of food products, and iii) their quality and safety;
4. an adequate technical-scientific knowledge for the application of innovative and research approaches regarding the food sector and adapting them to specific occupational fields;
5. a technical and laboratory knowledge and skills in the food and beverage sector with particular reference to the evaluation of quality, safety and technological functionality;
6. capacity to assess the environmental impact of food production and processing plants;
7. knowledge of professional and ethical responsibilities;
8. knowledge of the business contexts and the economic, managerial and organizational aspects of the food sector;
9. cognitive tools for the continuous updating of one's knowledge by appropriately using adequate technical and IT tools;
10. effective use, in written and oral form, of at least one European Union language, in addition to Italian, in the specific field of competence and for the exchange of general information;
11. skills and tools for communication and information management;
12. ability to work in a team and operate independently.
13. knowledge of the English language