Member Article

Scientist shortage gives businesses food for thought

A drop in the number of school pupils choosing science subjects at A-Level is causing a major headache for the North East’s food and drink manufacturers.

The region’s food and drink industry has an annual turnover of £1.4billion. It currently has plans to expand under the leadership of the recently formed North East England Food and Drink Group. But with fewer young people studying science post-GCSE, the industry is being bitten by a shortage of qualified food scientists and technologists.

Targets agreed between employers in the North East and Improve, the food and drink sector skills council, aim to double the number of food scientists working in new product development and quality assurance in the region to more than 500.

Jack Matthews, Improve chief executive, said: “We are in a situation now where only one in five A-Level passes are in biology, chemistry, physics and maths. Unless we increase that number significantly, we are going to continue to see food science degree courses undersubscribed, and that means we will continue to struggle to fill food science positions in the industry.

“Unfortunately, school pupils are deciding science is not for them, perhaps without even realising that it is scientists who invented the bubbles in Aero, who developed the cheese crust pizza and who are making fast food healthier and tastier. We need to do more to show that science is at the leading edge of manufacturing, and particularly food and drink manufacturing. It is about a lot more than Bunsen burners and the periodic table.”

In a bid to alter young people’s perceptions of food science and manufacturing, Improve has launched a School’s Challenge programme available to primary and secondary schools across England. The Challenge matches schools with local food and drink producers, who set a project for pupils to design and make a new food product.

For more information, visit www.improveltd.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .