Ever wonder how your favorite foods get their delicious flavors? Whether it’s a sweet treat, a spicy sauce, a bitter bite or a tart taste that makes your lips pucker, you come across distinct flavors daily, but you may not realize someone with a career in agriculture likely had a hand in creating them.
A flavor technologist — or someone who helps develop the flavors used in food and drink products — combines scientific tools and processes with creativity and imagination to enhance natural flavors, replicate existing flavors, camouflage unpleasant flavors and create entirely new flavor profiles.
Flavor technologists also work closely with food and beverage manufacturers, ensure all flavors meet regulatory and safety requirements, and establish detailed processes so flavors are consistent and easily reproduced during bulk production.
According to Veronica Hislop, a content creator and host of the “FoodGrads” podcast, an educational background in chemistry, mathematics, nutrition and food science is highly beneficial for those interested in becoming flavor technologists.
“Someone in this career will conduct flavor-development experiments, calculate precise measurements and cost per use of each ingredient, and have a thorough understanding of how different flavors complement and contrast with one another,” Hislop says. “Although there isn’t a particular bachelor’s degree a flavor technologist must have, anything in the STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] field would definitely be helpful.”
Hislop also mentions that flavor technologists should have a keen sense of taste and smell, along with a strong interest in cooking and recipe development.
“A flavor technologist combines the skills of both a chef and a chemist,” she says. “This career path blends art and science in a really fun way.”
Find Your Ag Career
Yes, a flavor technologist is an ag career, and FFA corporate partners such as Kerry Group and ADM offer this job! Are you interested in other unconventional careers in agriculture? Visit AgExplorer.FFA.org.
