According to the Institute of Food Science and Technology, Food Science is "a coherent and systematic body of knowledge and understanding of the nature and composition of food materials, and their various behavior under the various conditions to which they may be subject." Food science encompasses knowledge of the chemical composition of foods, human nutritional requirements, food microbiology, food toxicology, food pharmacology, and the effects of food processing, along with many other topics.

For more information on food science, see UK's Food Science Department homepage.