Food Science Course in Malaysia

1. What Is Food Science?

Food scientists come up with new ways to create, process, store, preserve, and package food, in a way that abides by industry and government guidelines so that the masses is able to consume safely and enjoy.

Why It Matters To The World?

• Through food science, we improve food safety by understanding bacteria that spread into food and learn ways to stop them from contaminating such as testing of raw ingredients and coming up with food handling procedures.

• Food science comes up with ways to make food last longer while preserving its taste and nutritional values. Food scientists create various food preservation solutions or ways to store and package food so that they can be carried over long distances and kept for long periods.

• Everyone consumes food and therefore its economic impact has huge repercussions when a chain of food production is contaminated causing massive recalls and monetary losses. Therefore, the responsibility of a food scientist is very important that the quality of food production is upheld.

Learn what a food science career entails from a real food scientist:

2. Where To Study Food Science Courses In Malaysia?

Here are 7 best universities to study Food Science courses in Malaysia.

• #1 Monash University Malaysia
• #2 Quest International University (QIU)
• #3 Taylor’s University
• #4 UCSI University
• #5 Universiti Teknologi Sarawak (UTS)
• #6 TARUMT
• #7 Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)
• BONUS — Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

7 Best Universities To Study Food Science In Malaysia

3. Food Science Course Pathways & Entry Requirements

There are 2 pathways one can consider when studying a Food Science Course.

Pathway 1: SPM/O-Levels ➔ Pre-University/Foundation ➔ Food Science Degree

A common pathway is to enter a Pre-University course (A-Level, SACE, STPM) or a Foundation course offered by the university of your choice.

As an SPM / O-Level leaver, the entry requirement is 5 credits including Bahasa Melayu, Mathematics and one Science subject to enter Pre-U or Foundation.

A Pre-University course or Foundation in Science/Food Science typically takes 1 to 2 years to complete and will qualify you to enter into a Degree in Food Science.

Thereafter, a Food Science Degree in Malaysia will take 3 to 4 years to complete depending on the offering university.

Here are the general requirements to enter with qualifications from popular pre-university courses or a foundation course:

Qualifications	General Requirements
A-Level	2D
AUSMAT/SACE	ATAR 75
CIMP	70%
STPM	2C
UEC	5C
Foundation	CGPA 2.50

Note: Actual minimum requirements will differ between different universities. Generally, these qualifications also require you to have taken at least 2 subjects in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and/or Mathematics/AddMaths and achieved the minimum results.

Pathway 2: SPM/O-Levels ➔ Diploma ➔ Food Science Degree

An alternative route is to take a Diploma in Food Science first. However, this is not recommended as only a handful of universities offer a Diploma qualification and its credit hours may not be fully transferable to another university should you continue to a Degree.

As an SPM / O-Level leaver, the entry requirement is 3 credits including Bahasa Melayu, Mathematics and one Science subject to enter a Diploma in Food Science.

A Diploma in Food Science generally takes 2 years to complete.

If you proceed to continue with a Degree in Food Science, you only need to enrol for an additional 2 years to complete the Degree with a minimum entry requirement of CGPA 2.50 for your Diploma. 

In total, this pathway generally takes 4 years to complete but as mentioned above, not all your credit hours may be transferable thus extending your Degree duration.

4. What You Learn In A Food Science Course

Your learning will vary based on the engineering specialisation you select. We’ve listed some well-known core units you may be studying if you join a food science course.

• Cell Biology
• Enzyme Technology
• Downstream Processing
• Fermentation Technology
• Food and Industrial Microbiology
• Food Chemistry
• Food Commodities
• Food Safety & Quality Management
• Functional Foods
• Fundamentals of Molecular Biology
• Halal and Food Legislation
• Human Nutrition
• Human Physiology
• Laboratory and Workplace Management
• Life on Earth
• Lifespan Nutrition
• Metabolic Biochemistry
• Microbiology
• Nutrition and Chronic Diseases
• Nutrition and Metabolism
• Principles of Nutrition
• Spectroscopy and Analytical Chemistry
• Sport Nutrition
• Structural Biochemistry
• Techniques in Food/Nutrition Research

5. Why Should I Study Food Science?

• Explore the Science Behind Food – You understand the science behind food that can be produced at scale and made into products that can be sold worldwide. How do you take dumplings and process the ingredients into a product that not only tastes good but preserves its freshness, its nutrition, extends its expiration period and can be priced affordably?

• Master Food Production and Processing – Learn how to manage food processing, raw material sourcing, and sanitation standards in production to ensure quality and safety in every step.

• Innovate and Improve the Food Industry – Develop skills to create new products, improve existing methods, and refine distribution techniques, making a real impact on how food reaches people.

6. RIASEC Compatibility To A Food Science Course

The John Holland Theory of Career Choice states that in choosing a career, people will choose one similar to their personality to ensure job satisfaction, job performance, and career success. The test generates 6 different personality types:

• Realistic (R)
• Investigative (I)
• Artistic (A)
• Social (S)
• Enterprising (E)
• Conventional (C)

With the RIASEC Test, the 6 personalities can generate up to 720 combination possibilities to provide career compatibility. You can try the test yourself here.

REALISTIC

• If you like working with your hands and being involved in real-world tasks, food science lets you dive right into food products, tools, and processing methods. For example, you could help create new foods, make production smoother, or check that everything meets quality standards.

INVESTIGATIVE

• Curiosity and a knack for solving problems are key in food science. The job’s all about digging into research, testing ideas, and experimenting to make food safer and better. Food scientists break down what’s inside (nutrients, vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein) and come up with fresh ways to improve how it’s made. 

CONVENTIONAL

• If you’re detail-oriented and love structured work, roles in quality assurance, compliance, or record-keeping in food production might be perfect for you. Food scientists make sure food production follows all the rules and standards, from government regulations to consumer expectations, and they keep clear records of their work.

7. Career Opportunities For Food Science

Areas of Opportunity	Types of Roles
Food Production & Product Development	Food Scientist, Food Technologist, Product Development Specialist, Flavour Chemist, Dairy/Fruit/Meat Technologist
Food Safety & Quality Assurance	Food Safety Officer, Quality Assurance Specialist, HACCP Coordinator, Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Nutrition & Health	Clinical Nutritionist, Public Health Nutritionist, Functional Food Developer, Dietary Supplement Scientist
Research & Academia	Food Research Scientist, University Lecturer, Sensory Scientist
Food Business & Entrepreneurship	Food Business Owner, Food Marketing Specialist, Food Consultant
Sustainability & Environmental Roles	Food Waste Management Specialist, Sustainable Agriculture Expert, Alternative Protein Researcher

Recommended Course Guides

Looking for other related courses? Here are various science-related course guides you should check out:

• Biotechnology Course In Malaysia

• Environmental Science Course In Malaysia

If you’re still unsure about what to study, we have many other Course Guides that will provide further insight into the subject matter. Share with your friends!

We also took the liberty to compile all our University Guides and Course Fees Guides so you don’t have to go anywhere else!

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About the Author:

Ken Hoong is the co-founder of Uni Enrol and a contributing writer. Drawing on his close work with Uni Enrol’s counsellors, he brings keen insight into Malaysia’s evolving private higher education landscape and the shifting preferences of students in learning and career choices.