The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is pleased to provide teachers with free information and curriculum materials about careers in food science and guidelines on food safety. We hope you will take advantage of these offerings and share them with your students.

What is IFT? The Institute of Food Technologists is a scientific professional society with more than 28,000 members. The IFT’s purpose is to support improvement of the food supply and its use through science, technology, and education.

What is Food Science? Food science is the research of prepared, processed and packaged foods from raw materials from the grower all the way to the supermarket shelves and kitchens of the restaurant, fast-food and institutional markets. It includes research; quality control; chemical, microbiological and sensory analysis; processing, packaging, storage and distribution of all of the many types of foods we eat. Food scientists and technologists make the foods you eat safe, nutritious and tasty.

Careers in Food Science: Careers in food science and technology offer scholarships to qualified students. There are over 50 universities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico with 4-year curriculums and degrees, and many available jobs. Food scientists play a vital role in the development of new products or improvements to existing products, and are responsible for the safety of food from its source to the consumer.

Available On The Internet

INTRODUCTION TO THE FOOD INDUSTRY A self-study unit for grades 9 - 12

is a self-study learning tool designed to assist high school students in their exploration into the food industry and its career opportunities. This learning tool is free to you on the IFT Webpage and has been designed, written and produced as a public service to the educational community by Safeway Inc. in partnership with California Polytechnic University, Food Science and Nutrition Department, in San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande High School in Arroyo Grande, California. The Institute of Food Technologists funded worldwide distribution of the course via its Internet Webpage.