UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls
The food processing technology minor includes education in both theoretical and practical background in food product processing. This minor is especially beneficial for students with majors that focus on production of animals and crops that provide the raw materials for food processing. Students will gain greater exposure to applicable food processing techniques and provide a perspective of the ultimate fate of the commodity being processed and how production practices impact the final product.
Graduates who have both an educational background in basic and applied science with practical hands-on experience in manufacturing food products are in very high-demand in the industry.
There are currently more than 1000 food manufacturing/processing plants in Wisconsin and more than 2500 food companies in Minnesota. Graduates may be employed in positions such as production line supervisors, quality control technicians or procurement and sales positions.
The faculty and academic staff work closely with students to provide meaningful classroom and hands-on experiences. The pilot plants include Dairy Manufacturing, Fruit and Vegetable Processing and Meat Processing. All of the plants are used for education and training of students, while the Dairy and Meat plants also meet state inspection requirements. A number of student employment opportunities exist within the pilot plants.