Food technician

What they do:

Food technology technicians are responsible for the control, processing, and preservation of food throughout the entire production chain, ensuring safety, quality, and compliance with current regulations. They use scientific and technological methods to monitor food processing operations, adjusting parameters such as temperature, humidity, pH, and microbiological levels as needed. Their work includes designing and optimising production cycles, analysing ingredients, evaluating the nutritional value of products, and creating food labels according to legal requirements. They also take part in the development of new products, selection of raw materials, and verification of hygiene standards in production environments, often in collaboration with biologists, chemists, and quality managers.

Food technology technicians work in laboratories, food production plants, the agri-food industry, or processing companies. They operate chemical and microbiological analysis instruments, management software, and automated control systems used in modern food production. When employed in companies producing traditional or certified foods – such as DOP cheeses, IGP cured meats, or DOC wines – they cooperate with certification bodies and quality technicians to ensure compliance with product specifications and the preservation of organoleptic characteristics.

Key skills:

• Monitoring and controlling food processing operations
• Performing chemical, physical, and microbiological analyses
• Designing and optimising production processes
• Nutritional assessment and quality assurance
• Ensuring food safety and traceability
• Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams of experts