Food Innovation Management
Bachelor of Food Technology
Career opportunities
There will always be work in the food sector. Consumers want a wider variety; governments impose increasingly exacting requirements. As a Food Technologist you are trained to be allocated a position within the food sector in high executive positions with a strong technological component. It concerns a broad scale of posts, within which the specialisation Food Innovation Management focuses on the interface of technology with commerce and more specially to the position of product developer. The key task of the product developer is the development of new foods and the renewal of already existing foods. This task will be carried out mostly on a project basis and within a multidisciplinary team. In order to carry out this task adequately you must be able to speak the language of the marketing expert, and the language of the technology expert as well - and thus be in an excellent position to build bridges between the sector's various specialisations.
You constantly must weigh up: technological possibilities, demands of the market and business goals. For this both technological and commercial knowledge and skills are needed. In addition you must be creative, persistent, innovative, result oriented and be able to work on a project basis.
From the multi-disciplinary character of the position the career can develop in different directions, both towards specialisation (for example packing expert) and towards management positions. Like earlier graduates, you may work as a product developer, product manager or an innovation manager, or you can apply for a job as a commercial technologist. Many of our graduates work for major food-producers such as Unilever, Heinz, and Mars; many others work for a wide range of medium-sized firms in the industry like Droste, Mora or Campbells soup.
Teerapong Wongyao from Thailand
student
"The most interesting part of my study is working in teams, and working on products in the labs and development room. I love developing products and analysing this products, and I love helping people to work faster. The more I study here, the more I love food! I plan to be a product developer in the future. I would like to do analysis and developing, preferably doing research. And to use my knowledge and experience to help my country develop.
Wageningen is a small city, but with nice people to talk to. It is easy to make new friends, people speak in a direct manner. My advice for future students is: try to make new friends as much as possible, friends for studying, friends for partying, friends for travelling. Your friends will help you for sure. Be friendly, open, and direct. Say yes, if you do understand, and say no, when you do not understand, this will help you learn faster."
"Mixing orange juice in a bowl of milk isn't that easy..."