The food business has and always will be market driven. We’ve already seen this play out for several of the topics covered in this class. If consumers want organics, the industry will make and sell them. If consumers want plant-based milk and meat, an entire industry will form to produce these products. If consumers want gluten-free, then gluten-free they shall have.
These developments are great for food scientists, as this means plenty of challenging jobs in product development, sensory analysis, quality control, food analysis, and regulatory compliance.
The cannabis edibles market is the latest to emerge in food science and technology. Entire books have already been published on this topic.
A robust side industry has also formed exclusively for measuring CBD, THC, and other chemical constituents. The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the professional organization for food scientists has published several reviews and developed education and other materials to keep their members informed.
And right here in Nebraska, Doane University, a small liberal arts college located in Crete, became one of the first universities in the world to offer a cannabis studies program. Under the leadership of Dr. Andrea Holmes, this program has several courses on cannabis agriculture and chemistry and even and offers a professional Certificate in cannabis science.
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