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Studies & Degrees in Food Science Engineering

Food science and engineering deals with what happens to food between the farm and the table. Food science draws on biology, chemistry, biochemistry and chemical engineering to understand food and the processes it goes through, and to improve food products. Food scientists study the physical, microbial and chemical make-up of food. Food engineers design and develop the systems used to process, store, package and handle it. In practice the two overlap, and many degrees teach both.

Students start with mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology and then move on to the subjects of the field itself:

  • food chemistry and food analysis
  • food microbiology, hygiene and food safety
  • unit operations: heat transfer, drying, freezing, extrusion, fermentation
  • process and plant design, packaging and preservation
  • sensory science and product development
  • quality management and food law

Laboratory work and time in a pilot plant, a small-scale factory used for teaching, are a normal part of the degree, and many programmes include an internship in a food company.

Qualifications and levels

The name and length of the degree depend on the country.

  • Spain. A bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits and an official master's degree 60, 90 or 120. The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, for example, teaches a Grado en Ingeniería Alimentaria at its school of agricultural, food and biosystems engineering (ETSI Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas). Other Spanish universities use names such as food science and technology; the official register of degrees (RUCT) shows the exact title and its status.
  • Latin America. The usual degree is a full engineering degree called Ingeniería en Alimentos or Ingeniería de Alimentos in Spanish-speaking countries and Engenharia de Alimentos in Brazil. Length and admission rules are set by each university, so check the study plan.
  • United States and Canada. Food science is normally a Bachelor of Science. McGill University, for example, offers a Bachelor of Science (Food Science), non-thesis master's programmes in food sciences and in food safety, and research-based MSc and PhD studies.
  • Postgraduate study. Master's degrees specialise in areas such as food safety, product development, process engineering or food biotechnology. A doctorate leads to research posts in universities, public research centres and the research departments of large companies.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 15 active schools for this subject. Brazil has 5, Spain and Mexico have 2 each, and Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina and the United States have one each. Teaching is in Portuguese in Brazil, in Spanish in Spain and the other Latin American countries, and in English in the United States and at McGill in Canada.

In Brazil, the Universidade de São Paulo has a faculty named after the subject, the Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA), and the Universidade Federal de Viçosa teaches Engenharia de Alimentos through its Departamento de Tecnologia de Alimentos. The Universidade Federal de Goiás, the Universidade Estadual de Maringá and the Universidade Federal do Ceará are also on the list.

In the Spanish-speaking countries, the Universidad de Concepción in Chile has taught Ingeniería en Alimentos at its Chillán campus since 2009, and the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral in Guayaquil, Ecuador, lists a food degree in its Facultad de Ingeniería en Mecánica y Ciencias de la Producción. The list also includes the Universidad de Antioquia in Colombia, the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla and the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in Mexico, and the Universidad Nacional de San Luis in Argentina. In Spain, the schools are the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and the Centro Universitario Santa Ana in Almendralejo, which is attached to the Universidad de Extremadura.

In North America, Purdue University's Department of Food Science offers two majors, Food Science and Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. McGill teaches food science on its Macdonald Campus, outside the centre of Montreal.

Careers

Graduates work mainly in food and drink manufacturing: product development, process engineering, production management, quality control and food safety. Others work in ingredient and packaging companies, in laboratories, in public inspection and regulation, and in research and teaching.

Official figures exist for the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, agricultural and food scientists held about 37,400 jobs in 2025, of which 14,100 were food scientists and technologists. Food manufacturing was the largest employer of the group, with 18% of the jobs, and overall employment is projected to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035. Purdue states that 100% of its food science students have a job or a place in graduate school within 6 months of graduation; this is the university's own figure.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between food science and food engineering?

Food science studies what food is made of and how it changes. Food engineering designs the processes and equipment that make, preserve and package food on an industrial scale. Most degrees cover both, with a different balance.

Is food science the same as nutrition?

No. Nutrition and dietetics deal with diet and health in people. Food science and engineering deal with the product and the factory: composition, safety, processing and packaging.

How long is the degree in Spain?

A Spanish bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits, which corresponds to four academic years at 60 credits a year. An official master's degree adds 60 to 120 credits.

Which school subjects do I need?

Chemistry, biology, mathematics and physics are the base of the first years. Check each university's admission requirements, because they differ by country.