Food industry
Today's increasingly complex food system has created a need for professionally qualified Dietitians/Nutritionists.
Graduates may find employment within food companies as well as within consulting laboratories, government organisations and regulatory bodies.
A Dietitian/Nutritionist may often function as the intermediary between the company and the public. Food Industry Dietitians/Nutritionists have the opportunity to help improve the health of populations by changing the available food supply.
Areas of employment:
Graduates have established successful careers in fields requiring knowledge of:
- food analysis
- product development
- food regulatory issues (food law)
- food safety and quality systems
- food manufacture
- nutrition research
- nutrition-related marketing and public relations
- consumer and health professional education
- sales and customer service
- marketing
Job titles/roles:
There are a range of diverse roles for Nutritionists within the food industry. The roles here can vary depending on the specific position, department, type of business and the size of the company.
Nutritionist, Food Scientist, Laboratory Scientist, Marketing Officer, Sensory Evaluation Scientist, Food Technologist, Product Development Technologist, Quality and Nutrition Coordinator, Brand Manager.
Employers:
Examples: Unilever, Spotless Catering, Simplot, George Weston Foods, Nestle, National Foods, Kraft, Fonterra, Yakult, Sanitarium, Kellogg's
Graduate Profile:
Shelley Dillon (pdf 23KB) graduated from Deakin in 2004 as an Accredited Practising Dietitian with a Food Science Major.
Expert in this area:
Janine Waller (pdf 15KB) is the Nutrition Manager at National Foods. Janine provides insight into careers for dietitians in the Food Industry.
