Food Science is a discipline in which the principles of biological and physical sciences are used to study the nature of foods, the causes of their deterioration, and the principles underlying the processing and preparation of food.

It is the application of science and technology to the provision of a safe, wholesome, and nutritious food supply.  In the food industry, scientists work in research and development of products or processes, production supervision, quality control, marketing and sales, test kitchens and recipe development.  Food scientists serve in government regulatory agencies and academic institutions.