Food biotechnologist to food technologist
A food biotechnologist already meets 53% of what the food technologist role asks for. The move turns on 29 required skills not yet in the profile.
66.6/ 100
1 How much of what a food technologist is expected to do is already part of a food biotechnologist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the food technologist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A food technologist role treats 44 of its required skills as things a food biotechnologist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- analyse samples of food and beverages
- apply GMP
- apply HACCP
- apply food technology principles
- apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages
- assess HACCP implementation in plants
What stands in the way is 29 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 65 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A food technologist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a food biotechnologist background worth leading with.
- already held food products composition engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held perform microbiological analysis in food handling and moving
- already held food toxicity engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held monitor processing conditions information skills
- already held collect briefing regarding products information skills
- already held assess shelf life of food products assisting and caring
All 65 carried skills, including the 44 the food technologist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 74 missing skills fall into 12 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn combination of textures required
- still to learn energy efficiency required
- still to learn food canning production line required
- still to learn food engineering required
- still to learn functional properties of foods required
- still to learn processes of foods and beverages manufacturing required
- still to learn traceability in food industry required
- still to learn circular economy required
- still to learn combination of flavours required
- optional, not held cultural customs on food preparation optional
- optional, not held effects of pesticides in food raw materials optional
- optional, not held food homogenisation optional
- optional, not held food policy optional
- still to learn interpret data in food manufacturing required
- still to learn strive for nutritional improvement of food manufacturing required
- still to learn use new technologies in food manufacturing required
- still to learn watch food product trends required
- still to learn analyse packaging requirements required
- still to learn evaluate ingredient documentation from suppliers required
- still to learn read engineering drawings required
- optional, not held analyse trends in the food and beverage industries optional
- optional, not held assess quality characteristics of food products optional
- optional, not held ensure correct goods labelling optional
- optional, not held monitor ingredient storage optional
- optional, not held monitor packaging operations optional
- optional, not held perform food safety checks optional
- optional, not held research new cooking methods optional
- optional, not held analyse production processes for improvement optional
- optional, not held apply control process statistical methods optional
- optional, not held check quality of raw materials optional
- optional, not held identify hazards in the workplace optional
- optional, not held perform physico-chemical analysis to food materials optional
- optional, not held perform sensory evaluation of food products optional
- still to learn describe chemical innovation in products required
- still to learn promote ethical eating required
- still to learn listen actively required
- optional, not held coordinate launches of new food products optional
- optional, not held advocate for consumer matters in production plants optional
- optional, not held assess the life cycle of resources optional
- optional, not held configure plants for food industry optional
- optional, not held develop food scanner devices optional
- optional, not held food plant design optional
- optional, not held manage communications with food industry governmental bodies optional
- optional, not held provide food labelling expertise optional
- optional, not held research new food ingredients optional
- optional, not held create new recipes optional
- optional, not held provide training on quality management supervision optional
- still to learn ensure responsible sourcing in food supply chains required
- still to learn manage ethics issues in the food industry required
- optional, not held inspect silo systems optional
- optional, not held participate as observer in different types of audits in the food sector optional
- optional, not held use resource-efficient technologies in hospitality optional
- optional, not held attend to detail in preparation for audits optional
- optional, not held identify nutritional properties of food optional
- optional, not held manage environmental management system optional
- still to learn health, safety and hygiene legislation required
- still to learn waste management required
- still to learn develop food production processes required
- optional, not held keep food laboratory inventory optional
- optional, not held perform strategic planning in the food industry optional
- optional, not held adapt production levels optional
- optional, not held manage packaging development cycle from concept to launch optional
- optional, not held manage scale-up experiments for manufacturing of products optional
- optional, not held mitigate waste of resources optional
- optional, not held plan shifts of employees optional
6 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a food technologist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 describe chemical innovation in products practise this
- 02 combination of textures study this
- 03 develop food production processes practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 65 skills that carry over
- already held analyse samples of food and beverages skill
- already held apply GMP skill
- already held apply HACCP skill
- already held apply food technology principles skill
- already held apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages skill
- already held assess HACCP implementation in plants skill
- already held bioeconomy knowledge
- already held biotechnology knowledge
- already held ensure public safety and security skill
- already held enzymatic processing knowledge
- already held fermentation processes of food knowledge
- already held follow-up lab results skill
- already held food allergies knowledge
- already held food and beverage industry knowledge
- already held food authentication techniques knowledge
- already held food fraud knowledge
- already held food legislation knowledge
- already held food materials knowledge
- already held food preservation knowledge
- already held food product ingredients knowledge
- already held food products composition knowledge
- already held food safety principles knowledge
- already held food science knowledge
- already held food storage knowledge
- already held food toxicity knowledge
- already held foodborne diseases knowledge
- already held identify the factors causing changes in food during storage skill
- already held improve chemical processes skill
- already held ingredient threats knowledge
- already held keep up with innovations in food manufacturing skill
- already held laboratory-based sciences knowledge
- already held lead process optimisation skill
- already held legislation about animal origin products knowledge
- already held manage discarded products skill
- already held manage food manufacturing laboratory skill
- already held molecular gastronomy knowledge
- already held monitor developments used for food industry skill
- already held monitor processing conditions skill
- already held pathogenic microorganisms in food knowledge
- already held perform food risk analysis skill
- already held prepare visual data skill
- already held quality assurance methodologies knowledge
- already held risks associated to physical, chemical, biological hazards in food and beverages knowledge
- already held write work-related reports skill
- already held adjust production schedule skill
- already held apply scientific methods skill
- already held assess shelf life of food products skill
- already held be at ease in unsafe environments skill
- already held carry out environmental audits skill
- already held carry out training in environmental matters skill
- already held check quality of products on the production line skill
- already held collect briefing regarding products skill
- already held detect microorganisms skill
- already held develop new food products skill
- already held develop standard operating procedures in the food chain skill
- already held ensure compliance with environmental legislation in food production skill
- already held ensure finished product meet requirements skill
- already held fermentation processes of beverages knowledge
- already held follow laboratory manuals skill
- already held food safety standards knowledge
- already held keep up-to-date with regulations skill
- already held monitor the production line skill
- already held participate in the development of new food products skill
- already held perform microbiological analysis in food skill
- already held perform quality audits skill
The 6 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn manage the use of additives in food manufacturing required
- optional, not held operate automated process control optional
- optional, not held perform chemical experiments optional
- still to learn collect samples for analysis required
- optional, not held select adequate packaging for food products optional
- still to learn food ethics required
- still to learn food waste monitoring systems required
- still to learn chemistry required
- optional, not held project management optional
45 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held coordinate launches of new food products optional
- optional, not held advocate for consumer matters in production plants optional
- optional, not held analyse trends in the food and beverage industries optional
- optional, not held assess quality characteristics of food products optional
- optional, not held assess the life cycle of resources optional
- optional, not held configure plants for food industry optional
- optional, not held cultural customs on food preparation optional
- optional, not held develop food scanner devices optional
- optional, not held effects of pesticides in food raw materials optional
- optional, not held ensure correct goods labelling optional
- optional, not held food homogenisation optional
- optional, not held food plant design optional
- optional, not held food policy optional
- optional, not held inspect silo systems optional
- optional, not held keep food laboratory inventory optional
- optional, not held manage communications with food industry governmental bodies optional
- optional, not held monitor ingredient storage optional
- optional, not held monitor packaging operations optional
- optional, not held participate as observer in different types of audits in the food sector optional
- optional, not held perform food safety checks optional
- optional, not held perform strategic planning in the food industry optional
- optional, not held project management optional
- optional, not held provide food labelling expertise optional
- optional, not held research new cooking methods optional
- optional, not held research new food ingredients optional
- optional, not held select adequate packaging for food products optional
- optional, not held use resource-efficient technologies in hospitality optional
- optional, not held adapt production levels optional
- optional, not held analyse production processes for improvement optional
- optional, not held apply control process statistical methods optional
- optional, not held attend to detail in preparation for audits optional
- optional, not held check quality of raw materials optional
- optional, not held create new recipes optional
- optional, not held identify hazards in the workplace optional
- optional, not held identify nutritional properties of food optional
- optional, not held manage environmental management system optional
- optional, not held manage packaging development cycle from concept to launch optional
- optional, not held manage scale-up experiments for manufacturing of products optional
- optional, not held mitigate waste of resources optional
- optional, not held operate automated process control optional
5 further entries not listed here
6 held skills the food technologist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analyse work-related written reports skill
- not needed by the target role apply preservation treatments skill
- not needed by the target role bioethics knowledge
- not needed by the target role infections in food knowledge
- not needed by the target role operate microscope skill
- not needed by the target role statistics knowledge
19 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn combination of textures required
- still to learn energy efficiency required
- still to learn food canning production line required
- still to learn food engineering required
- still to learn food ethics required
- still to learn food waste monitoring systems required
- still to learn functional properties of foods required
- still to learn processes of foods and beverages manufacturing required
- still to learn traceability in food industry required
- still to learn chemistry required
- still to learn circular economy required
- still to learn combination of flavours required
- still to learn health, safety and hygiene legislation required
- still to learn waste management required
- optional, not held cultural customs on food preparation optional
- optional, not held effects of pesticides in food raw materials optional
- optional, not held food homogenisation optional
- optional, not held food policy optional
- optional, not held project management optional
Common questions about this move
Can a food biotechnologist become a food technologist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A food biotechnologist already covers 53% of what a food technologist is expected to do: 65 skills carry over, 44 of which the food technologist role treats as required.
What skills does a food biotechnologist need to become a food technologist?
29 required skills are missing, plus 45 optional ones. They fall into 12 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is describe chemical innovation in products.
How hard is the move from food biotechnologist to food technologist?
Its learning distance is 66.6 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.