Read about ...

You are here: / South Australian Food Centre / Innovation / Food Technology

Food technology

Food technology is using the science of food to find better ways of food selection, preservation, processing, packaging, distribution, and use of safe, nutritious, and wholesome food.

Food scientists and food technologists study the physical, microbiological, and chemical makeup of food. Depending on their area of specialisation, food scientists may develop ways to process, preserve, package, or store food, according to industry and government specifications and regulations.

Some examples of the importance of advancements in food technology include the development of products such as UHT milk, longer shelf life, Cryovac packaging and improvements in cold chain logistics.

Need advice?

The SA Food Centre can help businesses:

Identify market opportunities
Find funding assistance for innovation activity
Identify appropriate processing or packaging technologies
Assess the business case for new technology
Implement new technology in your plant
Identify staffing and training needs to implement a new technology

Food is a global industry and food science and technology is an international discipline.

It is the largest sector of manufacturing industry in most developed countries, covering many areas such as quality and safety assurance, product and process development, regulatory affairs, research, manufacture and packaging, sales and marketing.

The SA Food Centre through partners SARDI have food technologists who are on site and available to help businesses take advantage of new innovations in processing and packaging, shelf life and product development – just to name a few.

Businesses have the opportunity to access the TAFE SA food processing facilities, development kitchens, laboratories and other data gathering technology at the SA Food Centre.

People interested in a career in the industry also can study a range of areas at the SA Food centre, including developing new foods, manufacturing food, wine and beverages, or quality control, through a TAFE SA food technology course. These courses are hoping to expand the skills and capabilities of South Australia’s food sector as the industry grows.