Course Content

Food technology is the application of food science to the processing of food materials into safe, wholesome, nutritious, tasty and attractive food products. Food technology draws upon and integrates the application of other technologies to food, such as packaging, materials science, engineering, instrumentation, electronics, agriculture and biotechnology.*

All this activity is supported by food science which covers the scientific understanding of the composition of food under various conditions. This involves the understanding of many disciplines including nutrition, enzymology, microbiology, pharmacology, toxicology and effects of manufacturing, processing and storage.*

The university is home to the Food Research Consultancy Unit (FRCU), a leading centre of excellence for Food Science. The FRCU has an international reputation for food safety research and provides expertise, training and advice to the food industry through the work of the Food Industry Centre. Testament to the work carried out by the FRCU is a brand new, state of the art £4.9 million Food Industry Centre which opened in the Spring of 2009, providing unrivalled facilities in this area. Therefore, students undertaking this degree will benefit from the close association and expertise from the Centre and staff.

Year One:
You are introduced to the basic skills and knowledge required to progress into the food industry in many fields, such as food microbiology, raw material technology, food chemistry, human nutrition and biochemistry. You can further enhance your potential worth with the introduction to communication and information technology module, which will provide you with the skills required to formulate and present presentations with the aid of software packages available.

Year Two:
You will apply your knowledge of food science and technology directly to food manufacture, covering areas of interest such as processing technology, food quality and legislation, biochemistry and food analysis. Year two also allows you to study from a choice of food commodity technology modules - a range of modules dealing with the various sectors of the food industry is available as optional choices.

For those undertaking the ‘Sandwich’ pathway an industrial work experience module is available and you are advised to gain first hand experience of the industry. Placements may be arranged in other European countries.

You are actively encouraged to consider work placements during your course of study as undertaking work placements will contribute towards your credit accumulation. A twelve week placement during the summer break between years two and three will accumulate 10 credit points and a twelve month placement between years two and three will accumulate 20 credit points. Help with placements and advice in gaining the best out of the placement is given by a designated IWE (Industrial Work Experience) tutor.

Year Three:
You will develop skills in areas of food safety, auditing and risk assessment, quality management and applied food chemistry and biochemistry as well as undertake a final year supervised research project.

Career Potential

A career in the food industry will put you in the middle of the largest and most important economic activity in the world.

The health and welfare of people everywhere depends on good agricultural yields and on the reliable storage, successful processing and safe handling of all types of food. All these activities and many others create a demand for well qualified and experienced specialists who can play their part in the complex and increasingly sophisticated food supply system.

The food and drink manufacturing industry is the single largest manufacturing sector in the UK. It employs some 470,000 people, representing 13% of the manufacturing workforce in the UK and has a turnover of £75bn accounting for 15% of the total manufacturing sector. Ours is the fourth largest food and drink manufacturing industry in the world. In addition, an estimated 1.2 million workers in ancillary activities depend on a successful food and drink industry for their jobs.*

Independent food experts have stated that the long-term prosperity of our food industry depends upon a continuing supply of trained food scientists and technologists. The food industry today is in desperate need of these technically trained staff and this course is providing graduates to fill that gap. With an almost one hundred percent employment rate, graduates can gain employment within many areas, including research and development, quality control, hygiene, packaging, food microbiology and food analysis. Most graduates will achieve starting salaries of 18k – 23k.

For further in depth information about specific jobs available in the industry please visit http://www.ifst.org/

Entry Requirements

Applicants who wish to undertake this course without the foundation should have five GCSEs incl. English, Maths and Science plus one of the following:

• 240 points from at least 2 A Levels / Scottish Advanced Highers including grades CC, one to be in a Science / Food Technology subject
• BTEC QCF Diploma / Extended Diploma 240 points within Science / Food Technology
• 240 points within the Irish Leaving Certificate at Highers to include Science / Food Technology (C2 minimum grade considered)
• Pass Access with 45 credits at Level 3 within a relevant subject
• 240 points from the Welsh Baccalaureate to include grades CC at A level or equivalent, to include Science / Food Technology, Core considered as 3rd subject
• Qualifications equivalent to the above

If your qualification isn't listed above, please refer to the UCAS website.

If you do not meet the above entry requirements, the ‘Foundation leading to BSc Health Sciences’ is available one year full-time and will provide you with a relevant qualification that will allow you to progress to this degree upon successful completion. For further information about the Foundation course, please click here.

Key Facts

Accredited by:
Institute of Food Science & Technology

UCAS Code(s):
This course offers the following pathways of study and the relevant UCAS Code, shown below, should be used on your application form

D616: BSc (Hons) Food Science & Technology
D610: BSc (Hons) Food Science & Technology (inc. Foundation)
D617: BSc (Hons) Food Science & Technology (Sandwich)
D615: BSc (Hons) Food Science & Technology (Sandwich inc. Foundation)

Campus: Llandaff

School: Cardiff School of Health Sciences

Course Length:
D616: Three years full-time
D610: Four years full-time
D617: Four years full-time
D615: Five years full-time

The BSc (Hons) is also available part-time and can take between four to eight years to complete. For further information please contact us

Assessment:
A blend of coursework assessment and examination is used at each level.

How to Apply:
Applications for this course should be made online to UCAS at http://www.ucas.com/

For further information please visit our How to Apply pages at www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/howtoapply.

International Applicants:
Before making an application, international students (those outside of the EU), should contact the International Office at Cardiff Met to discuss the necessary procedures in relation to studying with us. For further information visit www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/international

Selection Procedure:
Selection is usually on based receipt of a completed UCAS application.

Tuition Fees and Financial Support:
For up to date information on tuition fees and the financial support that may be available please refer to www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/fees.

'£1000 and a free iPad for eligible new Food Science students'
For eligible first year students joining the BSc in Food Science & Technology in September 2013 the opportunity to receive an iPad and £1000 towards supporting their studies will exist through funded projects* from the food industry. Students would receive the funding upon completion of their projects and towards the end of the first term of the first year. The receipt of both funding and iPad is also dependent on the students continuation on the course . All students are eligible to undertake the projects and each student would be allocated a member of staff at the university as a mentor.

*Availability of all projects is subject to confirmation.

For further information about these projects, please contact:
David Lloyd.
Director of Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Met
dclloyd@cardiffmet.ac.uk

Bursaries & Scholarships:
The university also offers a bursary and scholarship scheme to help students whilst at university. To see if you are eligible, visit www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/scholarships.

Contact Us

For general enquiries please contact the Student Recruitment Team on 029 2041 6044 or email courses@cardiffmet.ac.uk

For course specific enquiries, please contact the programme leader, Ray Newberry:
Email: rnewberry@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Tel: 029 2041 6441

Come and see us
If you’d like to find out more, then why not come and see us at one of our undergraduate Open Days. To book a place, click here.

See Also:
Cardiff School of Health Sciences Website