The Girls in Engineering Club asked 4th year food science student Celeste Clayton what her degree is like and what the National Science Week theme "Food: Different by design" means to a food scientist.
The theme forÌýNational ScienceÌýWeek 2021ÌýisÌýFood:ÌýDifferentÌýbyÌýdesign.ÌýÌýThe Girls in EngineeringÌýClubÌýpicked the brains ofÌýCeleste Clayton,ÌýaÌýstudent in herÌýfinal year of aÌýBachelor ofÌýFood ScienceÌý(Honours)ÌýdegreeÌýat UNSW.ÌýÌý
Tell us a bit about yourself whenÌýyou areÌýnot studying at UNSW?Ìý
I really love to bake and cook. I live a busy, fast-paced life and so I really enjoy taking some quiet time to myself. I also loveÌýtravelling,Ìýtaking long walks at theÌýbeach,Ìýand just hanging out with my friends, whether that’sÌýgamesÌýnights,Ìýworkouts,Ìýor just chill dinners.ÌýÌý
What exactly is food science?Ìý
It is such a broad areaÌýand food science can mean many different things to many people. To me, it’sÌýan amalgamation of everything that goes on behind the scenes to make all the food products we consume as delicious, safe, cheap,Ìýplentiful,Ìýand as long-lasting as theyÌýcan be!ÌýÌý
What kind of jobs can you getÌýas a food scientist?Ìý
You couldÌýbecomeÌýaÌýProductÌýDeveloper responsibleÌýfor inventing and formulating new foods and upscalingÌýthemÌýorÌýaÌýQualityÌýAssuranceÌýOfficerÌýworkingÌýto ensure the products produced are consistent, free of contaminants and follow legal requirements.ÌýAnother great job isÌýaÌýSensoryÌýScientistÌýwhoÌýoptimisesÌýfood so that the consumer has theÌýbestÌýexperienceÌýeating the food!ÌýÌý
IfÌýyou areÌýmore interested in nutritionÌýyou can look atÌýthe effect of foods on the bodyÌýand work asÌýa nutritionistÌýor a researcher.ÌýThe opportunities really are endless and involve all aspects of what goes into a food product all the way from theÌýpaddocks to your platesÌýand so with your imagination you could really design your dream job!Ìý
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How did you come toÌýstudy foodÌýscience?Ìý
I always had anÌýinterest in food andÌýinÌýscience.ÌýI rememberÌýwanting to know why bread has bubbles in it and why it turns brown when cooked.ÌýI loved the broad overview that the high schoolÌýfoodÌýtechnologyÌýcourseÌýgave, butÌýwanted to utilise more of the technical scientific skills I had developed in chemistry,Ìýbiology,Ìýand maths.ÌýSo,ÌýUNSWÌýEngineering’sÌýFoodÌýScience and TechnologyÌýbachelor's degreeÌýseemedÌýlike the perfect choice for me.ÌýÌý
The course has been amazingÌýandÌýtaughtÌýme the fundamentals of foodÌýtechnology,Ìýas well as providingÌýendless opportunities for hands on learning andÌýallowingÌýme to meet some lifelong friends!Ìý
What surprised you about studying food science at UNSW?Ìý
I was more surprisedÌýby how hard I could work and in turn how much I could excel! I had toÌýreallyÌýpersevereÌýwith courses I had no experienceÌýin, such as physics and computing.ÌýBut through this I found some amazingÌýpeers who are super helpful and happy to work together.Ìý
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I haveÌýalsoÌýbeen lucky enough to be involved in theÌý, which is a student run society throughout myÌýdegree.ÌýIt helped me make aÌýfoodÌýscienceÌýnetwork at UNSW andÌýsomeÌýgreatÌýfriends toÌýstudy and socialise with!ÌýÌý
This year the theme of National Science week is Food: Different by design. What does this mean for food scienceÌýandÌýwhy do you think it is important in 2021Ìý?Ìý
TheÌýglobalÌýpopulationÌýisÌýgrowingÌýat a staggering rate,Ìýsome people have access to too much food whileÌý1 in 9 people do not have access to enough food! As food technologists, it is important thatÌýwe work to address these problemsÌýto ensure a sustainable future.ÌýCurrent research in areas such as cellular agriculture highlight opportunities to effectively address these issues. It is important for all of us to claim responsibility for our food choices today and every day to demand that food is continually designed differently to benefit us all!Ìý
For more information about studying Food Science and Technology at UNSW,Ìýtake a lookÌýat theÌý.Ìý