Aug 7, 2023
What is the food manufacturing industry?
In our next food industry blog, we are going to look at the food manufacturing industry.
What does food manufacturing have to do with the larger food industry? Plenty, as it turns out! The food manufacturing industry includes all of the processes that go into transforming raw ingredients into prepared foods and beverages.
These products are ultimately sold to consumers through grocery stores, restaurants, and other outlets. In this article, we’ll explore what the food manufacturing industry entails and the many individuals who make up its workforce.
Let’s get started!
Food manufacturing – how it works
The food-manufacturing industry refers to companies that are primarily engaged in processing, packaging, and distributing products made from raw food materials.
The largest subsector of food manufacturing includes makers of processed foods like breads, soft drinks, candies, dairy products, and ice cream. Food manufacturers also produce ingredients used by other manufacturers—like flour and sugar—and those sold in bulk to households.
This category also includes producers of alcoholic beverages. Food services establishments, such as restaurants and hotels, are not included in food manufacturing but account for a significant portion of sales within the food sector.
In addition to producing food products for sale, many manufacturers process their own raw materials into animal feed or pet food; these operations were excluded from our analysis because they do not sell directly to consumers.
How to get into food manufacturing
If you want to get into food manufacturing, you’ll have a lot of options. While it’s not difficult to find an entry-level job in food production, getting started in manufacturing—especially with a big company—takes more than that. It will take some networking and research on your part.
Start by talking to people who work in food manufacturing and finding out how they got started. You might also want to think about taking a course at your local community college or going through an apprenticeship program; these can help get you into better standing with larger companies that typically look for candidates with some experience already under their belt.
Job types in food manufacturing
Food manufacturers employ a wide range of workers—from entry-level assembly line workers to highly skilled engineers and chemists. A food chemist, for example, may use his or her knowledge of biology and chemistry to solve problems related to food safety, create new products and develop formulas for flavouring and colouring agents.
Food production managers coordinate employees who work in such areas as product design, research and development, marketing and advertising. They also supervise staff responsible for inspecting finished products for quality assurance purposes.
Food packaging designers are another type of employee found within food manufacturing firms; they’re charged with creating attractive containers that best protect food products from air, moisture and pests while allowing consumers to identify what’s inside without damaging it or destroying its freshness.
Food manufacturing recruitment
The food manufacturing industry in the UK plays a crucial role in the economy, creating jobs and generating wealth. It employs 2.8 million people across the country with manufacturing outputs worth over £100 billion.
The biggest jobcentres are central England, northern England and Wales, but there’s a great deal of work in Scotland too. Food manufacturers employ large numbers of different kinds of people across all levels – right up to senior management positions – and even offer student placements too.
Once you’ve mastered your career path as an apprentice or graduate you might consider looking for food manufacturing recruitment jobs around the country to take your career forward. Food jobs are available everywhere; you just need to know where to look!
Career paths within food manufacturing
Food Manufacturing offers numerous career opportunities for people who enjoy working with food, from line workers and packaging technicians to chemists and scientists.
The career paths available in Food Manufacturing differ depending on your experience level and education, but range from entry-level positions with small companies to those that are very specialised requiring PhD’s or master’s degrees.
One of Food Manufacturing’s biggest draws for people looking for careers in food industry is that it includes virtually all areas of food production. These job opportunities include
What is the pay like?
The pay scale in food manufacturing varies depending on which part of manufacturing you’re looking at. Since food manufacturing encompasses such a large group of industries, pay rates will differ by job description, so it’s best to dive into specific industries that interest you.
Food processors and food product manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that quality standards are met and regulatory compliance is maintained within a plant facility or processing area.
Pay can vary according to factors like education level, certification, and experience but typically ranges from £20,000 – £150,000 per year.
Educational requirements to work in this field
The food and beverage manufacturing industry encompasses a diverse array of businesses, each with its own specialities. It can be divided into three basic segments: food processing, which includes the production of meat products, dairy products, fruit juices and wine; wholesaling, in which businesses buy from food processors and sell to retailers; and retailing. Each segment has unique educational requirements.
Food processing businesses will most likely require at least a bachelor’s degree for entry-level positions as well as substantial experience in food science or similar fields. In addition to producing food for sale, some manufacturers hire nutritionists who work on product development teams to ensure that their foods meet federal dietary guidelines.
The future of food manufacturing/foodservice industries
The foodservice and food manufacturing industries in the UK are among some of the most influential sectors. This makes sense; after all, everyone has to eat and it’s a matter of personal choice how they do so.
Even if they don’t end up buying their food from industrial-scale processors or instead choose to make meals at home, many families will go out to eat on occasion. This means there’s plenty of room for growth in these industries as well as ample opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to get into one or both. Here are two key points related to how these industries work.
The first has to do with scale: food service and manufacturing depend on large-scale operations because mass production offers cost savings over smaller batches made by hand.