Allan Lim, Ph.D., Council Member (co-opted)

Food is one of the most fundamental necessities in the life of Singaporeans, and we very often take for granted the variety, accessibility and quality of the processed foods that sustain our hectic lifestyle. Even fewer of us will appreciate the science and technology that go into the processed foods we see on supermarket shelves.

I graduated from the National University of Singapore with a degree in Biochemistry and pursued my graduate study at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology.  About 7 years later, I decided that my calling is in the applied research.  That was the time before the boom in biomedical sciences and a Ph.D in Molecular Biology was certainly over-qualified for most of the industries in Singapore.  It took me a few months of job-hunting before I was offered a position as Chemist at Nestlé R&D Center in Singapore.  It was indeed a very fundamental switch in my career, but I am glad I did it because I can now proudly say that I have left a mark on many of the Nestlé products.

Although I started off as a chemist in Nestlé, my background in biochemistry allowed me to bring in a different perspective in solving problems in food.  However, one must always bear in mind that depending on the size and culture of the food company, food scientists can wear many hats in the food industry.  In fact some companies don’t even have positions called food scientist, so many graduates of food science end up as “Food Technologists” or “Process Engineers”.  In a typical food company, food scientists or technologists are often expected to spend time analyzing food in the laboratory or fine-tuning the recipes in the kitchen.  In bigger companies like Nestlé and Unilever, food scientists have the luxury to conduct research into how food changes during processes, and how it interacts with the consumers; while Food Technologists focus on formulation and scaling up of the manufacturing process.  Process Engineers, as the name suggests, are primarily focused on the food manufacturing process.

It is obvious from my education that I was never trained as a food scientist, but I had the opportunity to learn on the job.  Perhaps this is the advantage of working in the world’s largest food company. So long as one is willing to learn and add value to the processes, there is always an opportunity for growth.  As a food scientist at Nestlé, I was able to participate in many product development projects as well as task forces to solve product issues at the factories.  The key to success in these projects is to go beyond the boundaries of classical chemistry and to offer realistic solutions.  For example, to reduce the caking of food powders one will need to first understand the flow property of such powders and the possible phase transitions, but the solution may be just to add in the right type and amount of anti-caking agents.

Just like in any other career, food scientists also have their fair share of stress and anxieties.  In my case, the biggest stress comes from solving product problems at the factories.  Most food scientists will attest that solving problems at the factories is not easy.  Firstly, it is not uncommon for factory operators or engineers to perceive food scientists as someone belonging only to the laboratories.  Such perceptions really hamper food scientists when trying to find solutions with their co-workers, and secondly, the problems in Asian food products are very often not described in text books or discussed in scientific literature, so one needs to connect knowledge from different disciplines to understand the problem.  Due to the demand of operations, the problems in the factories are routinely resolved by trial and error as there are no resources to look deep into the root of the problem.  The challenge of a food scientist is to uncover the mechanisms to allow a holistic and long term solution to be put in place.  This requires a lot of perseverance and teamwork across various functions.  However, the satisfaction in finding an effective solution is indescribable and it definitely pays off in spite of the sweat and tears.

Going forward, I see many challenges for the food scientists.  As more consumers are looking for foods with added values such as organic, natural ingredients and nutraceuticals for health benefits, new ingredients and processes will be required for these products. Food scientists will also need to be aware of the impact of food production on the environment, as the world is beginning to focus on the carbon footprints of food products.  In my view, the ultimate reward for a food scientist is to be able to commercialize food products which are not only safe, tasty and affordable, but will also improve the nutritional status of consumers.  I hope more young talents will join me in this exciting quest!