Food Science Focus Evolves as Enrollment Thrives

With society’s increased focus on food safety and an increase in food recalls, food regulation and food law courses are being added to the curriculum, according to Dr. Vasavada. The topic of recall management was also added to food quality assurance classes.

Along those same lines, Dr. Boor said, “There is more emphasis on food safety in all of our classes and a clear integration between the need to understand biological properties of food and the chemical food safety as well.”

Food science has become more complex than ever before, and students must study more broadly and deeply in several disciplines, a factor that may have contributed to the decline in enrollment, according to Dr. Floros. “Food science is being called upon now to respond to changing technology and, more importantly, to what is happening socially,” he said.

“People’s interest in their food goes beyond just the food’s taste, convenience, and price, or what cheese goes with what wine, so to speak,” Dr. Floros said. “It’s an interest that now spans the continuum from personal health to planetary health, an interest that goes beyond sustenance and food safety, and links food to climate change and environmental sustainability, energy production and use, chronic disease prevention and consumer wellness, an interest that permeates just about every activity we do as humans. This change in people’s minds has affected their decision-making process and what choices they make about food, and, therefore, we as food scientists have to respond.” ■

Di Marcantonio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. Contact her at [email protected].