Food Science Technician
William is a Technical Placement Student at Greencore
I work in food safety and food quality, helping make sure the food you buy is safe to eat, and that it looks and tastes how it should.
Greencore makes food for supermarkets – it might say Tesco or M&S on the label, but behind the scenes, it’s Greencore who have made it and sent it out to the supermarkets.
I also visit different sites and do hygiene and safety checks to make sure we are following food laws and standards.
The best thing is the variety – no two days are ever the same.
One day I could be dealing with a quality issue when ingredients arrive, the next it could be a problem with a machine, and we have to work around it.
I also love learning what’s going on behind the scenes. I find it really interesting how we stop harmful bacteria (called pathogens) from growing in food.
For example, we can add something acidic, like lemon juice, to reduce bacteria growing, or we can reduce the water content by adding sugar (because sugar absorbs water, and bacteria needs water to grow). We can also add nitrogen inside the packaging so there’s no oxygen inside and perishable foods like lettuce stay fresher longer.
Communication is key. Factories are noisy, so you have to be clear and choose the best way to get your message across.
You also need to have good attention to detail. You have to notice small things like water on the floor (as a splash of water can contain lots of bacteria) or the wrong packaging left on an assembly line (as it could end up on the wrong product). Small things can cause big problems if you don’t spot them.
Problem solving is another big skill. If something goes wrong, like if you find some plastic in a product, you need to figure out where it came from, what went wrong and how to stop it happening again.
I work with loads of different people. Everyone at Greencore is really helpful, it doesn’t matter if you’re in your early-career, or if you’re a supervisor or a manager.
If I ask a question, they do their best to answer it. And if they don’t know, they point me to someone who does.
Everyone really takes the time to explain things, which really helps me understand how everything fits together.
My favourite thing is the automated equipment we use across our factories, for example the use of robotics.
I like to see how food manufacturing and future technologies can be integrated to make safe and high-quality food.
I’ve been part of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets since I was 12, and now I help run sessions for younger cadets. I teach things like cyber security and radio communications.
As a cadet, I learnt loads about teamwork, leadership and loads of STEM skills (which stands for science, technology, engineering and maths). I also like going to the gym.
At school, I enjoyed science and subjects which really make you think, I’ve always been interested in the details. That’s helped me a lot in my job now. Also, being in the Air Cadets really boosted my confidence and taught me to have good leadership skills.
In sixth form, I felt the pressure of not knowing exactly what I wanted to do, and it was quite stressful. But I learned it’s OK to take your time and that it’s good to explore your options.
I’m most proud of how much I’ve learned. Getting through all my assessments and gaining qualifications while working has felt great.
I’m not just doing tasks, I’m understanding why they matter.
A sample from every single batch of food we make gets sent to a microbiological laboratory for testing, to check how much bacteria is in the food and if it’s safe to sell.
It’s also surprising how much science goes into keeping food safe. We control the temperature, acidity, water content and even the air inside the packaging to stop bacteria from growing.
I’m currently on my apprenticeship placement year, but after that I’m hoping to move into a full-time technical role, probably in quality assurance.
I’m also hoping to be promoted to supervisor level one day.
Don’t overthink things. You don’t have to have your whole life planned out at 16. I had no idea what I was going to do after sixth form, until about a month before I finished.
Think about what you enjoy and follow that. Don’t worry if your plans change later, it will all work out.
Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.
