• Achievements
• Innovators
• Frontiers

• Growing Food
• Taste & Look
• Packaging
• Convenience

Dairy products stay fresher longer in plastic packaging developed by chemical engineers. Photo by Tami Parr, Pacific Northwest Cheese Project.

For more than 100 years chemical engineers have used their unique expertise to conceive, design, test, and scale up revolutionary food-processing techniques.

Through their efforts we now expect exotic fruits and vegetables, fresh meats, seafood, and dairy products always to be available on our local grocery shelves. We have also come to depend on a bounty of safe, convenient processed foods to meet our nutritional and culinary needs.

Growing food

At the dawn of agriculture, when our ancestors first started planting and harvesting, experiments with crop fertilization also began. Trial-and-error attempts to boost crop size eventually gave way to more focused applications of science and technology. Today synthetic and organic fertilizers significantly increase crop yields, while herbicides and pesticides help protect crops from damage. Learn more >>

Taste and look

People have always looked for new ways to improve the flavor, texture, and appearance of food. Today an entire branch of chemical engineering is dedicated to applying science and technology to enhance the gustatory and visual appeal of the food we eat. Learn more >>

Packaging

Not too long ago the variety of foods available to consumers was limited to what could be produced and transported locally. This situation has changed thanks to modern packaging developed by chemical engineers that now allows us to savor a broad and bountiful selection of foods. Learn more >>

Convenience

Prepackaged, frozen, fast-cook, dehydrated, and microwavable foods are among the developments that make our fast-paced modern lifestyle more palatable. These present-day time-saving conveniences have been brought forward largely through the efforts of the chemical-engineering community. Learn more >>