Food technology concerns the study on the application of food science to the selection, preservation, processing, packaging, distribution, and use of safe, nutritious, and wholesome food. The undergraduate program of food technology integrates principles and concepts in the physical, biological, and engineering sciences, and applies them to the design, analysis, processing, packaging, production, preparation, evaluation and storage of foods, food ingredients, and beverages.

Food science and related subjects are very much multi-disciplinary subjects. Undergraduate students of food

technology degree study all aspects of food from the chemistry of food constituents such as proteins, fats and carbohydrates to the safe production of today's high quality food products. Students gain the knowledge from lectures, practical classes in laboratory, field trip, industrial training, special projects and seminars.

The food technologist may specialize in food engineering, food microbiology, food laws and regulations, food packaging, quality assurance, nutrition, sensory evaluation, biotechnology, safety evaluation, food service, fruit and vegetable products, dairy, meat and seafood processed foods, refrigerated and frozen foods, toxicology and others.

Core Competence of Graduates

The core competences of Undergraduate Program of Food Technology has been in line with those defined by Institute of Food Technologist covering the areas of food chemistry and analysis, food safety and microbiology, food processing and engineering, applied food science, and success skills (see Table). The curricular standards encompass two elements: specific curricular content and desired competencies of student learning.

Curriculum

The curriculum of food technology undergraduate program covers all courses required by the Education Committee of the Institute of Food Technologists (the professional society of international food scientists). Included in the courses are chemistry, mathematics, biology, physics, communications, and writing. These provide a foundation for upper division, professionally related courses in food chemistry/biochemistry, food physics, food analysis, food processing and engineering, food microbiology, food fermentation, nutrition, toxicology, food safety, sensory analysis and food law. In addition to major courses to provide minimum competence as a food technologist, students of Food Technology Undergraduate Program has opportunity to deep their knowledge (specialization) in one of three course areas (14 credits), e.g. (1) Food, Nutrition and Health Course Areas; (2 Food Processing Technology Course Areas, and (3) Food Industrial Management Course Areas. These three course areas can be taken at Semester 6 and 7.

A minimum of 145 hours of credit is required for graduation. All courses can be taken as a 4-year course, including two months industrial training and final task in the form of research or internship.

Click Curriculum of Undergraduate Program of Food Technology

Facilities for Practical Work, Industrial Training and Research

It is essential for students to gain the necessary confidence to enter the food industry as managers responsible for industrial processes. To support educational process, our Department has the extensive range of small-scale food processing equipment allowing students to gain experience of industrial food processing on a pilot scale. Our Department has a model of teaching industry namely Food Industrial Teaching System (FITS) in which students have opportunity to access to the equipment that mimics industrial-scale food processing equipment. Students have access to the pilot plant facilities for practical classes, industrial training, internship and research in a real industrial atmosphere.

Industrial Placement
Our graduates will have gained industrial experience during their study. Links between the Department and the food industry are very strong allowing our students have places for industrial training. Students are visited by staff on their industrial placements and the performance of the student is assessed both by the company and by the academic supervisor. In addition to industrial training, final year students have also opportunity to take internship program in food industry or government institution in country or abroad for at least six months.

Career Prospects
Undergraduate students of food technology have many exciting and diverse career opportunities. If you enjoy science and want improve human health or engage in research to develop food products that are safe, nutritious, and flavorful, then you will find a career in food-related sectors very rewarding.

The food industry currently needs well-trained scientists who are knowledgeable about the technical and scientific base, have strong analytical skills and who have an understanding of the relationship between food manufacturing technologies, management of the production process and the marketing of the product. The demand strongly exceeds the supply of good graduates at present. The survey conducted in 2003 showed that the majority of our graduates are working in various food related sectors, such as food processing industries, food ingredient industries, food plant and equipment manufacture, food packaging industries, retail food distribution, catering (food service), government institutions (food policy, food legislation, food inspection, public analysts' laboratories, food standard, etc), research and educational institutions, food retail, journalism/publishing/information services, restaurant, consultant, non-government organization, and others. Our graduates have also gained employment with a wide range of national and multinational companies in country and abroad. Starting salaries are commonly in the range 1.5-2.5 million rupiahs. Our graduates are well qualified to work in many areas of the food-related sectors as:

• Quality control scientists
• Production supervisors
• Food engineers
• Food product development technologists
• Food microbiologists
• Flavor chemists
• Food safety inspectors
• Registered dieticians
• Food service operations managers
• Researchers in universities and hospitals
• Public health educators
• Journalists in food areas
• Sales managers in food service businesses
• Entrepreneurs