The only Irish university to have a full faculty dedicated to food science is UCC and Professor Charlie Daly is enthusiastic about the future for its graduates. Job take-up among the college's graduates is very strong, he says.
There are 40 full-time staff members in UCC's food science faculty, 100 contract research scientists and 250 postgraduate students. Research brings in about £4.5 million a year, says Daly. A new research building was opened in 1994 and the college has an extensive food-processing hall, which Daly describes as a major resource. The college offers five food-related degrees from science and technology to nutrition, engineering and business.
"Students have to be interested in food in the broadest sense," says Daly. "They must be challenged by and attracted to food." The science and technology programmes would suit students interested in biological sciences and their application to food. "They will understand food as a living system, safety issues . . . all of the programmes look forward to the consumer." Consumer issues encompass sensory aspects such as taste, smell and visual presentation. We have moved on from 20 or 30 years ago when we were looking at how to process food, says Daly.
"Since the Twenties our graduates have been going out into industry. We have a very close interaction with industry . . . we also place a major emphasis on work placement. It's an essential element in getting students to understand industry, the working environment and helping them to develop their skills."
Students who opt for DIT Kevin Street's applied science degree can specialise in food science and technology. There is a heavy emphasis on chemistry and the physical sciences, according to course director John McEvoy.
In year one, students take chemistry, physics and maths. In year two, they drop maths and in year three they take chemical and biological sciences. The final year is devoted to food science and technology. This last year covers four areas - food chemistry, food processing, human nutrition and food microbiology. Graduates of the degree will be particularly strong in the physical sciences - food chemistry and processing.
At the end of the four-year degree students spend six months on project work - most are placed abroad with prestigious companies, say McEvoy. The placement gives them great confidence, he adds.
Graduates may find work in the food or pharmaceutical industry. They usually go in at basic technical level - production, quality control or product development. From there, they may become managers, food engineers, sensory analysts, food microbiologists, nutritionists, or they may diversify into areas such as product development or marketing.
DIT Kevin Street also offers a one-year graduate diploma in food science and technology. This is aimed at students who have a three-year science course in any discipline and is of honours degree standard, says McEvoy. However, this course is being phased out and the college will actively seek an alternative conversion course.
Students interested in food science may not automatically think of agricultural science in UCD. But, it's one of the nine specialisms offered under agricultural science. The first-year syllabus is common and students then specialise in areas as diverse as animal and crop production, commercial horticulture, engineering technology, agribusiness and rural development and food science. The advantage of going via this or any other common-entry programme is that students have more time to make up their minds as to what specialism will best suit them.
UL offers a four-year degree in food technology which includes an industrial placement. The first year and a half concentrates on basic sciences - biology and microbiology, maths, chemistry and physics - together with some introductory food technology. The third and fourth years constitute the professional part of the academic programme - food technology with biochemistry, microbiology, porcess engineering and agribusiness. Students can specialise in fourth year in subjects such as advanced food chemistry, food microbiology, project management and energy management. A project is undertaken in the final year. The college expects a strong demand from industry for this new degree. There is a continuing demand for graduates in the areas of food science, microbiology, new product development, non-food uses, process development, technical management, food ingredients, food safety and ready-to-use foods, according to the college prospectus. The first cohort of graduates from UL's food technology degree will be in 1998.
