Continuing our conversations about careers, this episode's focus is on food science. What does it take to be a food scientist? Must you be a geek in a lab coat or have a Frankenstein-like interest in food? Stefan Gates lifts the lid on food science – what is it and what does it involve? What are the different roles in the profession, and what are the range of skills, and interests, you need to excel?

He is joined by Jo Tivers, Head of Food and Quality at KFC, voted most likely to design ready meals for out of space when she left school, and Carole Bingley, Senior Associate Principal Scientist for Product and Ingredient Innovation at Reading Scientific Services. Sharing their passion for all things food and science related, our guests discuss the opportunities within industry, their own unique careers paths, and the secret behind developing a product that tastes truly amazing.

187: Career conversations: inside the world of food science