Nutrition and Food Science

Nutrition and food science is a discipline that applies the methods of biochemistry, physiology, microbiology and the social sciences to understand food, how it is produced and processed, and what it does to the human body. Nutrition examines how nutrients are consumed, metabolised and used by the body, and how diet influences health across the lifespan, from foetal development and childhood growth to the prevention and management of chronic disease. Food science investigates the composition, properties and transformation of food during production, processing and storage, connecting the laboratory to the supply chain.

At the University of Reading, which has particular strength in food and nutritional science, this three-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year and work placement, giving you extended professional experience in a food, nutrition or public health environment as part of your studies. You will study human physiology and biochemistry, macronutrient and micronutrient metabolism, dietary assessment methods, food microbiology, food chemistry, product development and the public health dimensions of diet and nutrition. The sandwich placement allows you to apply this learning in a real organisational context, developing professional skills alongside your academic knowledge.

Graduates work in food manufacturing, public health nutrition, healthcare dietetics (with further training), food policy, retail product development, regulatory agencies, research institutions and international food organisations. The combination of nutritional science and food technology knowledge is valued across the food industry, the NHS and public health bodies. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in nutrition, dietetics, public health, food science or food policy, with postgraduate clinical training required for registration as a dietitian.

The professional placement experience that this programme provides is a particular asset in the job market.