Food and Nutrition Science

Food and nutrition science applies the principles of biology, chemistry, and physiology to understanding food in its broadest sense: what it is made of, how it behaves during processing and storage, how the human body uses nutrients, and how diet influences health across the lifespan and across populations. It is a discipline that sits between laboratory science and applied public health, and one whose relevance to challenges of obesity, food security, and chronic disease is growing year by year.

At the University of Bedfordshire, this three-year full-time programme gives you a grounding in both the food science and the nutrition dimensions of the field. You will study food chemistry, microbiology, processing and preservation, alongside human physiology, nutritional biochemistry, and the epidemiology of diet-related disease. Laboratory work develops your practical skills in food analysis and nutritional assessment, and you will engage with the regulatory and industry contexts in which food science and nutrition professionals work.

The university has established industry links across the life sciences, including pharmaceutical companies and regulatory agencies, which help ensure that the programme is aligned to the needs of industry and society.

Graduates from food and nutrition science programmes go on to careers in the food and drink industry, public health nutrition, research, product development, quality assurance, food safety regulation, and the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors. Many choose to undertake further study in dietetics, which requires additional postgraduate training for registration as a dietitian with the Health and Care Professions Council. Further study options also include postgraduate programmes in food science, public health nutrition, and toxicology.