Food Science & Safety
Food composition, processing, quality, microbiology and safety.
Food science studies the chemical, physical and microbiological properties of food and how they change during processing, storage and preparation - from proteins and fats to fermentation, drying and encapsulation.
Food safety research covers foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, mycotoxins, pesticide residues and traceability along the supply chain. Related work addresses food waste and the sensory quality of food.
Studying food science & safety
Degree programs in this subject often run under these names:
What you typically learn
- Food chemistry and composition
- Food microbiology and hygiene
- Processing and preservation technologies
- Quality assurance and food law
- Sensory science and product development
- Nutrition basics
Where graduates typically work
- Food and beverage industry
- Quality assurance and food safety management
- Food control authorities and laboratories
- Product development
- Research and consulting
Curricula differ by country and institution - the program pages linked below have the details.
Where to study food science & safety
37 programs in 26 countries. See all 37 programs
Where research is heading
Typical research questions
- How can foodborne pathogens be detected faster and controlled along the supply chain?
- How do processing methods change nutritional value and quality?
- How can mycotoxin and residue contamination be monitored and reduced?
- Where along the supply chain does food waste occur, and how can it be reduced?
Publications per year
Papers whose main topic belongs to this field, 2010–2025.
Research fronts: fastest-growing topics
Papers 2024–2025 compared with 2021–2022, topics with at least 500 recent papers.
| Topic | 2021–2022 | 2024–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] | 2,629 | 3,927 | +49% |
| Food Supply Chain Traceability[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] | 1,890 | 2,771 | +47% |
| Proteins in Food Systems[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] | 8,427 | 11,682 | +39% |
| Agricultural safety and regulations[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] | 2,906 | 3,782 | +30% |
| Probiotics and Fermented Foods[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] | 14,832 | 18,823 | +27% |
| Fermentation and Sensory Analysis[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] | 5,001 | 6,324 | +26% |
Largest topics
By number of papers 2024–2025.
- Probiotics and Fermented Foods[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 18,823
- Meat and Animal Product Quality[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 14,141
- Proteins in Food Systems[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 11,682
- Food Safety and Hygiene[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 9,099
- Food Drying and Modeling[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 7,711
- Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiology[object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] · [object Object] 6,591
Highly cited recent papers
Most-cited articles and reviews published 2024–2025. Citation counts favor reviews and papers published early in the window.
- The European Union One Health 2023 Zoonoses report
- Effects of Probiotics on Gut Microbiota: An Overview
- The Potential Impact of Probiotics on Human Health: An Update on Their Health-Promoting Properties
- Salmonellosis: An Overview of Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Innovative Approaches to Mitigate the Antimicrobial Resistant Infections
- A comprehensive review of probiotics and human health-current prospective and applications
- Multifunctional Applications of Lactic Acid Bacteria: Enhancing Safety, Quality, and Nutritional Value in Foods and Fermented Beverages
All study programs in food science & safety
- Shkenca Bujqësore dhe Siguri Ushqimi (Agricultural Science and Food Security) Bachelor Agricultural University of Tirana · Albania 6 semesters · 180 ECTS · Usually taught in Albanian
- Bachelier bioingénieur (Bioscience Engineering) Bachelor University of Liège · Belgium 180 ECTS · Taught in French
- 葡萄与葡萄酒工程 (Viticulture and Oenology) Bachelor China Agricultural University · China Taught in Chinese
- 食品与营养健康 (Food Nutrition and Health) Bachelor China Agricultural University · China Taught in Chinese
- 食品科学与工程 (Food Science and Engineering) Bachelor China Agricultural University · China Taught in Chinese
- 食品质量与安全 (Food Quality and Safety) Bachelor China Agricultural University · China Taught in Chinese
- Ingeniería en Procesos Agroindustriales (Agro-industrial Process Engineering) Bachelor Agricultural University of Havana · Cuba
- Agriculture and Food Bachelor Czech University of Life Sciences Prague · Czechia 3 years · Full-time · Taught in English
- Plante- og fødevarevidenskab (Plant and Food Science) Bachelor Aarhus University · Denmark Starts August/September
- Food Processing Technology (English program) Bachelor Cairo University · Egypt Taught in English
- BSc in Food Engineering / Food Technology (Department of Food Science and Technology) Bachelor University of Tabriz · Iran
- Agricultural Science (BAgrSc) Bachelor University College Dublin · Ireland 4 years · Full-time · Taught in English · Starts September
- Bachelor of Science (taught in Hebrew), Faculty of Agriculture Bachelor Hebrew University of Jerusalem · Israel Full-time · Taught in Hebrew
- Viticoltura ed enologia (Laurea, Cesena) Bachelor University of Bologna · Italy 3 years · Full-time / Part-time · Taught in Italian
- Viticoltura ed enologia Bachelor University of Turin · Italy
- Viticoltura ed enologia (L-25) Bachelor University of Udine · Italy 3 years · Taught in Italian
- International Food & Agribusiness (Bachelor of Business Administration) Bachelor HAS green academy · Netherlands 4 years · Full-time · Taught in English
- BS Food Science and Technology Bachelor University of the Philippines Los Baños · Philippines Taught in English
- Enologia (Oenology) Bachelor University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro · Portugal 6 semesters · Full-time · 180 ECTS · Taught in Portuguese
- Биотехнология (Biotechnology), 19.03.01 Bachelor Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy · Russia 4 years · Full-time / Part-time · Taught in Russian
- Ветеринарно-санитарная экспертиза (Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise), 36.03.01 Bachelor Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy · Russia 4 years · Full-time · Taught in Russian
- Технология производства и переработки сельскохозяйственной продукции (Production and Processing of Agricultural Products), 35.03.07 Bachelor Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy · Russia 4 years · Full-time · Taught in Russian
- BSc (Hons) Food Science and Technology Bachelor University of Rwanda · Rwanda 4 years · Usually taught in English Program document (PDF)
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Crop Science, Horticultural Science, Animal and Dairy Science, ...) Bachelor Chungnam National University · South Korea
- Grado en Ingeniería Agroalimentaria y de Sistemas Biológicos Bachelor Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena · Spain 240 ECTS
- Viticulture and Enology (BS) Bachelor University of California, Davis · United States Full-time · Taught in English
- Master of Agricultural Science Master The University of Queensland · Australia 1.5 or 2 years · Full-time · Taught in English
- P7D Master of Agriculture and Food Sciences (Specialisation) Master University of Tasmania · Australia 2 years · Full-time / Part-time · Taught in English
- Diplôme d'ingénieur AgroParisTech (Engineering degree in agronomy and life sciences) Master AgroParisTech · France Full-time / Dual (with work placement) · Taught in French
- MSc Sustainable Food Systems Master ISARA · France Taught in English
- Organic Agriculture and Food Systems Master University of Hohenheim · Germany 4 semesters · Full-time / Part-time · 120 ECTS · Taught in English
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Science (Integrated Master) Master Aristotle University of Thessaloniki · Greece 5 years · Starts September
- Food Safety and Food Risk Management Master University of Bologna · Italy 2 years · Full-time · Taught in English
- Sustainable Food Systems Master Norwegian University of Life Sciences · Norway 2 years · Full-time · 120 ECTS · Taught in English · Starts autumn
- Master Production et Transformation des Produits Agricoles (PTPA) (Master in Production and Processing of Agricultural Products) Master Université Gaston Berger · Senegal
- Food and Landscape (MSc) Master Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences · Sweden 2 years · Full-time · Taught in English
- Sustainable Food Systems (MSc) Master Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences · Sweden 2 years · Full-time · Taught in English