Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Food regulatory advisor to food technologist

A food regulatory advisor already meets 52% of what the food technologist role asks for. The move turns on 34 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From food regulatory advisor
52 % overlap
Partial match
To food technologist
70 You already bring
34 Still to learn
139 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

67.6/ 100

1 How much of what a food technologist is expected to do is already part of a food regulatory advisor’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

Why this move works

A food technologist role treats 39 of its required skills as things a food regulatory advisor already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • analyse packaging requirements
  • analyse samples of food and beverages
  • apply GMP
  • apply HACCP
  • apply food technology principles
  • apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages

What stands in the way is 34 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 70 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 regulatory advisor background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held food engineering engineering, manufacturing and construction
  • already held configure plants for food industry communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held participate as observer in different types of audits in the food sector assisting and caring
  • already held perform strategic planning in the food industry management skills
  • already held provide food labelling expertise communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held advocate for consumer matters in production plants communication, collaboration and creativity

All 70 carried skills, including the 39 the food technologist role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 69 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 engineering, manufacturing and construction 11 required, 2 supplementary
  • 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 products composition required
  • still to learn food toxicity required
  • still to learn ingredient threats required
  • still to learn molecular gastronomy required
  • still to learn pathogenic microorganisms in food required
  • still to learn processes of foods and beverages manufacturing required
  • still to learn circular economy required
  • still to learn combination of flavours required
  • optional, not held effects of pesticides in food raw materials optional
  • optional, not held food policy optional
02 information skills 7 required, 8 supplementary
  • still to learn identify the factors causing changes in food during storage required
  • 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 evaluate ingredient documentation from suppliers required
  • still to learn monitor processing conditions required
  • optional, not held assess quality characteristics of food products optional
  • optional, not held check quality of products on the production line optional
  • optional, not held monitor ingredient storage optional
  • optional, not held monitor packaging operations optional
  • optional, not held analyse production processes for improvement optional
  • optional, not held check quality of raw materials optional
  • optional, not held follow laboratory manuals optional
  • optional, not held monitor the production line optional
03 communication, collaboration and creativity 4 required, 6 supplementary
  • still to learn describe chemical innovation in products required
  • still to learn promote ethical eating required
  • still to learn improve chemical processes required
  • still to learn listen actively required
  • optional, not held coordinate launches of new food products optional
  • optional, not held assess the life cycle of resources optional
  • optional, not held develop food scanner devices optional
  • optional, not held manage communications with food industry governmental bodies optional
  • optional, not held carry out training in environmental matters optional
  • optional, not held create new recipes optional
04 management skills 2 required, 9 supplementary
  • still to learn manage discarded products required
  • still to learn manage food manufacturing laboratory required
  • optional, not held keep food laboratory inventory optional
  • optional, not held adapt production levels optional
  • optional, not held adjust production schedule optional
  • optional, not held be at ease in unsafe environments optional
  • optional, not held ensure finished product meet requirements 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
05 assisting and caring 2 required, 4 supplementary
  • 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 ensure compliance with environmental legislation in food production optional
  • optional, not held inspect silo systems optional
  • optional, not held carry out environmental audits optional
  • optional, not held manage environmental management system optional
06 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 2 required
  • still to learn bioeconomy required
  • still to learn chemistry required

6 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

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.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 70 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held analyse packaging requirements skill
  • 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 biotechnology knowledge
  • already held develop food production processes skill
  • already held ensure public safety and security skill
  • 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 engineering 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 safety principles knowledge
  • already held food science knowledge
  • already held food storage knowledge
  • already held food waste monitoring systems knowledge
  • already held foodborne diseases knowledge
  • already held functional properties of foods 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 monitor developments used for food industry skill
  • already held perform food risk analysis skill
  • already held prepare visual data skill
  • already held quality assurance methodologies knowledge
  • already held read engineering drawings skill
  • already held risks associated to physical, chemical, biological hazards in food and beverages knowledge
  • already held traceability in food industry knowledge
  • already held write work-related reports skill
  • already held advocate for consumer matters in production plants skill
  • already held analyse trends in the food and beverage industries skill
  • already held apply control process statistical methods skill
  • already held apply scientific methods skill
  • already held assess shelf life of food products skill
  • already held attend to detail in preparation for audits skill
  • already held collect briefing regarding products skill
  • already held configure plants for food industry skill
  • already held cultural customs on food preparation knowledge
  • already held develop new food products skill
  • already held develop standard operating procedures in the food chain skill
  • already held ensure correct goods labelling skill
  • already held fermentation processes of beverages knowledge
  • already held food homogenisation knowledge
  • already held food plant design skill
  • already held food safety standards knowledge
  • already held identify hazards in the workplace skill
  • already held identify nutritional properties of food skill
  • already held keep up-to-date with regulations skill
  • already held participate as observer in different types of audits in the food sector skill
  • already held participate in the development of new food products skill
  • already held perform food safety checks skill
  • already held perform physico-chemical analysis to food materials skill
  • already held perform quality audits skill
  • already held perform sensory evaluation of food products skill
  • already held perform strategic planning in the food industry skill
  • already held provide food labelling expertise skill
  • already held provide training on quality management supervision skill
  • already held research new cooking methods skill
  • already held research new food ingredients skill
  • already held use resource-efficient technologies in hospitality skill
The 6 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 services 2 required
  • still to learn health, safety and hygiene legislation required
  • still to learn waste management required
08 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 required, 3 supplementary
  • still to learn manage the use of additives in food manufacturing required
  • optional, not held detect microorganisms optional
  • optional, not held operate automated process control optional
  • optional, not held perform chemical experiments optional
09 handling and moving 1 required, 2 supplementary
  • still to learn collect samples for analysis required
  • optional, not held perform microbiological analysis in food optional
  • optional, not held select adequate packaging for food products optional
10 arts and humanities 1 required
  • still to learn food ethics required
11 health and welfare 1 required
  • still to learn enzymatic processing required
12 business, administration and law 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held project management optional
35 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held coordinate launches of new food products optional
  • optional, not held assess quality characteristics of food products optional
  • optional, not held assess the life cycle of resources optional
  • optional, not held check quality of products on the production line optional
  • optional, not held detect microorganisms optional
  • optional, not held develop food scanner devices optional
  • optional, not held effects of pesticides in food raw materials optional
  • optional, not held ensure compliance with environmental legislation in food production 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 perform microbiological analysis in food optional
  • optional, not held project management optional
  • optional, not held select adequate packaging for food products optional
  • optional, not held adapt production levels optional
  • optional, not held adjust production schedule optional
  • optional, not held analyse production processes for improvement optional
  • optional, not held be at ease in unsafe environments optional
  • optional, not held carry out environmental audits optional
  • optional, not held carry out training in environmental matters optional
  • optional, not held check quality of raw materials optional
  • optional, not held create new recipes optional
  • optional, not held ensure finished product meet requirements optional
  • optional, not held follow laboratory manuals 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 monitor the production line optional
  • optional, not held operate automated process control optional
  • optional, not held perform chemical experiments optional
  • optional, not held plan shifts of employees optional
16 held skills the food technologist role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role advice food processing professionals skill
  • not needed by the target role advise on food preservation skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse work-related written reports skill
  • not needed by the target role communicate regarding food labelling interdisciplinary issues skill
  • not needed by the target role conduct shelf studies skill
  • not needed by the target role handle communications in the food processing industry skill
  • not needed by the target role identify market niches skill
  • not needed by the target role improvise to occuring food processing situations skill
  • not needed by the target role infections in food knowledge
  • not needed by the target role manage challenging work conditions during food processing operations skill
  • not needed by the target role manage time in food processing operations skill
  • not needed by the target role monitor system performance skill
  • not needed by the target role perform detailed food processing operations skill
  • not needed by the target role statistics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role work in a food processing team skill
  • not needed by the target role work independently in service of a food production process skill
20 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to pick up Tier
  • 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 ethics required
  • still to learn food products composition required
  • still to learn food toxicity required
  • still to learn ingredient threats required
  • still to learn molecular gastronomy required
  • still to learn pathogenic microorganisms in food required
  • still to learn processes of foods and beverages manufacturing required
  • still to learn bioeconomy required
  • still to learn chemistry required
  • still to learn circular economy required
  • still to learn combination of flavours required
  • still to learn enzymatic processing required
  • still to learn health, safety and hygiene legislation required
  • still to learn waste management required
  • optional, not held effects of pesticides in food raw materials optional
  • optional, not held food policy optional
  • optional, not held project management optional
Index
FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a food regulatory advisor become a food technologist?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A food regulatory advisor already covers 52% of what a food technologist is expected to do: 70 skills carry over, 39 of which the food technologist role treats as required.

What skills does a food regulatory advisor need to become a food technologist?

34 required skills are missing, plus 35 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 regulatory advisor to food technologist?

Its learning distance is 67.6 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

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.