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What
is the occupation? How is it related to Chemistry?
Flavor
Chemistry is the study of foods and understanding the natural
flavors as wells as restoring flavor to processed foods, producing
synthetic flavors, packaging foods and making food consumer
safe, economical and tasty.
What
educational background is needed?
The
Society of Flavor Chemists has a training program for those
who want to be Flavor Chemists, and the Institute of Food
Technologists (IFT) has approved over 50 schools for the study
of Flavor Chemistry; such as Cornell and Rutgers. Usually,
Flavor Chemists receive their undergraduate degree in either
chemistry or biology and then go on to receive their masters
in a food science program.
What
is the average salary?
A
Flavor Chemist's salary is generally higher than that of a
Food Scientist's.The average salary for a Flavor Chemist with
a Bachelors degree is about $35,000-$70,000;with a Masters
is about $45,000-$75,000 and with a Ph.D is about $56,000-$85,000+
a year.
What
are the working conditions?
Flavor
Chemists usually work in a lab that is sometimes set up similar
to a kitchen. This set up allows the chemists to understand
the chemistry behind each of the flavors in food.
What
is the job outlook?
The
Flavor Chemistry industry is currently being downsized. Even
though there is a limited amount of positions available, many
Flavor Chemists are optimistic for the future; there is always
going to be a need for flavorful foods.
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