Dulu bila jumpa sedara-mara masa balik kampung atau kat rumah makcik pakcik,soalan common adalah "sekarang belajar kat mana?".dan common answer "kat upm".tak cukup setakat itu akan tanya lagi,"ambil coz ape?".dengan malas2 sikit jawab "food science and technology".dan antara feedback yang saya paling tidak gemar,"ooh ye ke..mesti pandai masak ni.bolehlah bagi resepi nanti" atau dengan raut wajah yang seolah sedang berfikir,"bagus tu, nanti keje dietician laa kan,patutlah minum air masak je memanjang.jaga diet".saya minum semua air tapi most of the time surelah minum air masak kosong je kan.tapi second feedback tu saya ok lagi laa berbanding yang pertama.dan selalunya memang itu yang orang cakap.misunderstood betul.saya bukan dididik untuk menjadi chef.apatah lagi menjadi iron chef.jauh sekali.saya bukan belajar masak memasak ni.bukan.bidang ini adalah aplikasi science on food.kalau masa sekolah dulu pernah belajar chemistry.jadi masa buat degree saya belajar food chemistry.lebih fokus.saya belajar food microbiology,food engineering,food biochemistry etc.takde masuk dapur langsung.tapi ada food processing.itu lebih kepada penghasilan produk secara industri.untuk komen sebagai dietician tu,food sc n tech graduate memang boleh jadi dietician.cuma thats not totally what we've learned.saya ingin jadi food scientist since im in form 4.saya tinggalkan cita2 saya untuk jadi lawyer atau architect,walaupun saya suka.so,after matric-upm,inilah pilihan pertama saya.saya mula minat nak jadi food scientist bila saya selalu ikut mumy saya beli barang2 dapur dan saya suka betul baca label pada food packaging.sejak itulah.dan seingat saya,saya sikit pun tak pernah bercita2 untuk menjadi med doc.baru saya perasan dari saya darjah satu waktu perlu mengisi ruang cita2.ada tiga.saya tak pernah tulis hendak menjadi med doc.masa kecil saya tak tau kenapa saya tak pilih career itu tapi sekarang saya jelas.saya tak boleh melihat darah yang banyak,saya boleh pitam.jadi memang tak sesuaikan.antara cita2 yang saya pernah tulis adalah penulis.saya masih simpan buku log kecil yang saya guna untuk menulis semula cerita2 yang saya pernah baca dari buku.masa itu darjah tiga.saya jumpa buku tu masa pack barang nak pindah ke damansara.itu 15thn yang lalu.saya ketawa sendiri bila baca semula.saya memang suka merepek sejak dari kecil rupanya;) tapi bila dah 24+ thn ni saya akan merepek diblog ini sesuka hati saya.sekarang bila orang tanya seronok tak kerja in this field.tentu sekali saya seronok cumanya bila banyak sangat tekanan buat saya terfikir "am i in the rite track".setiap kali itu hati saya tetap akan kata "yes,u r".

So,here i'd like to share wat food scientist is all about..

FOOD SCIENTIST
Food scientists conduct research to develop food products that are healthy, safe, and appealing.Fruit roll-ups. Orange juice with calcium. No-boil lasagna noodles. Peanut butter and jelly in the same jar. These are just a few of the things that food scientists created. They took good ideas and turned them into food products that are convenient and nutritious. Food scientists are also behind things like vegetarian foods that look, smell, and taste like meat. (They do this by using thermal energy to change proteins.)
Food scientists work in the food processing industry. They also work for universities and the federal government. They help meet consumer demand for food products that are healthy, tasty, and convenient. To do this, they conduct research using their knowledge of chemistry and other sciences.
The work of food scientists varies depending on their specialty area. Some food scientists engage in basic research to discover new food sources and products. They analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, or protein. They search for substitutes for harmful additives such as nitrites. Food scientists also study methods to improve the quality of foods. For example, they might look for ways to improve flavor, color, texture, or nutritional content. In addition, food scientists develop methods to process, preserve, package, or store food. New methods must meet government rules and industry standards.
Food scientists who work in product development apply the findings of food science research.They also confer with specialists to resolve problems with products. For example, they might consult flavor experts or process engineers. In government jobs, food scientists develop food quality standards and safety and health regulations. Some food scientists enforce government regulations by inspecting food processing areas.All food scientists keep records of their research and write reports of their findings.

Work Activities
The following list of occupational tasks is specific to this career;
-Conduct research on new food sources and products.
-Analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein.
-Search for substitutes for harmful additives.
-Study methods to improve quality of foods, such as flavor, color, and texture.
-Develop methods to process, preserve, package, or store food according to regulations.
-Confer with engineers, flavor experts, and marketing specialists to resolve problems.
-Develop standards for food quality, safety, and waste control.
-Enforce government standards by inspecting food processing areas.
-Keep records of research and write reports.

People in this career perform the following list of tasks, but the tasks are common to many occupations;
-Identify objects, actions, and events.
-Analyze data or information.
-Judge the value of objects, services, or people.
-Make decisions and solve problems.
-Get information needed to do the job.
-Process information.
-Update and use job-related knowledge.
-Monitor events, materials, and surroundings.
-Provide advice and consultation to others.
-Carry out ideas, programs, systems, or products.
-Think creatively.
-Inspect equipment, structures, or materials.
-Estimate sizes, quantities, time, cost, or materials needed.
-Document and record information.
-Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates.
-Evaluate information against standards.
-Handle and move objects.
-Explain the meaning of information to others.

Working Conditions
In a typical work setting, people in this career;
Interpersonal Relationships
-Have a low level of social contact. They work alone much of the time.
Physical Work Conditions
-Always work indoors.
Work Performance
-Must be very exact and be sure all details are done. Errors or omissions could corrupt research findings.
Hours/Travel
-Usually work a 40-hour week.
-Travel to visit food processing plants when enforcing government regulations.

Physical Demands
People in this career frequently:
-Sit for long periods of time.
It is important for people in this career to be able to:
-See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
It is not as important, but still necessary, for people in this career to be able to:
-Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
-See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
-Understand the speech of another person.
-Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.
-Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.
-Use fingers or hands to grasp, move, or assemble small objects.

Skills and Abilities
People in this career need to:
Communicate
-Understand written information.
-Understand spoken information by listening and asking questions.
-Express ideas clearly when speaking or writing.
Reason and Problem Solve
-Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
-Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
-Identify problems and review information.
-Analyze options and apply solutions.
-Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
-Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
-Identify what must be changed to reach goals.
-Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
-Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
-Think of new ideas about a topic.
-Identify possible long-term outcomes of changes.
Use Math and Science
-Use scientific methods to solve problems.
-Use math skills to solve problems.
-Add, subtract, multiply, and divide quickly and correctly.
Work with Things
-Test and evaluate the quality of products.
-Test equipment, software, or procedures to make sure they operate correctly.
-Analyze needs and requirements when designing products.
-Determine the tools and equipment needed to do a job.

Knowledge
People in this career need knowledge in the following areas:
-Production and Processing: Knowledge of how products are made and supplied.
-Food Production: Knowledge of planting, growing, and harvesting food for eating.
-Biology: Knowledge of plants, animals, and living organisms and how they function.
-Chemistry: Knowledge of the properties of substances and the changes that occur when they interact.

Interests
People in this career are people who tend to:
-Consider independence important. They like to make decisions and try out ideas on their own. They prefer jobs where they can plan their work with little supervision.
-Consider achievement important. They like to see the results of their work and to use their strongest abilities. They like to get a feeling of accomplishment from their work.
-Consider good working conditions important. They like jobs offering steady employment and good pay. They want employment that fits their individual work style. They may prefer doing a variety of tasks, working alone, or being busy all the time.
-Consider support from their employer important. They like to be treated fairly and have supervisors who will back them up. They prefer jobs where they are trained well.
-Consider recognition important. They like to work in jobs which have opportunities for them to advance, be recognized for their work, and direct and instruct others. They usually prefer jobs in which they are looked up to by others.
-Have investigative interests. They like work activities that have to do with ideas and thinking. They like to search for facts and figure out solutions to problems mentally.
-Have realistic interests. They like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like to work with plants, animals, and physical materials such as wood, tools, and machinery. They often prefer to work outside.

p/s:saya ni as stated in my profile jika diizin Allah akan menjadi lecturer.so kalau nanti isi form untuk status kerja saya terpaksa nyatakan sebagai lecturer bukan food scientist eventhough saya sebenarnya adalah kedua2nya. lecturer + food scientist.saya nanti akan mengajar dan juga buat research.masa saya undergrad saya tak tahu macam mana system kenaikan untuk lecturer.sekarang of coz saya dah tau.lecturer..main job adalah mengajar tapi berapa lama pun mengajar mcm takde credit untuk move further.i mean untuk transform jadi assoc. prof atau prof.bukan takde langsunglah.ada tapi sikit sangat.yang lebih penting adalah research.berapa banyak paper yang dapat dipublishkan.lepas tu tgk pulak publish kat mana.kalau setakat asian jurnal..lambatlah sikit.kalau boleh semua nak kena publish international jurnal.buat masa terdekat ini saya belum fikir secara serius hal itu semua. mungkin lagi 5thn.ada sesuatu yang saya nak tulis tentang hal ini.tapi rasanya bukan dientry ini.