Professional Recognition

Professional recognition and improvement lie at the heart of everything we do at IFST. With an ever-growing range of possible career development pathways within the food sector, it is now more important than ever to be recognised by an independent professional body.

View our full IFST membership and accreditations flowchart

Join us

Science Council Registration (CSci, RSci and RSciTech)

We award Chartered Scientist, Registered Scientist and Registered Science Technician status under license from the Science Council. These awards offer recognition as a cross-speciality benchmark of your career development as a food scientist. 

Successfully securing registration with us demonstrates to your peers, employers and clients that you have a verifiable standard of competence in your field. Find out more about Science Council Registration and the competencies required for the different levels on this page

If you are not sure which award currently reflects your skills and expertise, get in touch with the IFST membership team by emailing: JoinUs@ifst.org

Applying for Professional Registration as an apprentice

The Science Council has created a shortened application route to becoming professionally registered for apprentices, depending on the apprenticeship which has been undertaken. Individuals who have achieved and received one of these apprenticeship certificates are eligible to apply through the shortened application routes:

  • Food Industry Technical Professional Level 6 ST0197 Version 1.0 – Fully aligned to RSci 
  • Dairy Technologist Level 5 ST0393 Version 1.1 – Fully aligned to RSci 
  • Food Technologist Level 3 ST0198 Version 1.0 – Fully aligned to RSciTech 
More information on this can be found in this leaflet and on the Science Council website

Specialist Registers

Register of Food Safety Professionals (RFSP)

The Register of Food Safety Professionals (RFSP) recognises those working at all levels within food safety throughout the sector and helps to build a unified platform for food safety compliance across the food industry and safety auditing process. Search the Register of Food Safety Professionals.

Register of Professional Food Auditors and Mentors (RPFAM)

This scheme was developed to meet the needs of food companies and auditing organisations to improve food quality and safety by assuring the calibre of professionals offering auditing and mentoring services. 

Register of Professional Sensory Scientists (RSensSci)

The Register of Professional Sensory Scientists is aimed at those practising sensory science at a professional level and for whom knowledge or practice of food sensory science forms an essential component of their role. The standard of this qualification is aligned with Chartered Scientist (CSci) and successful recognition as a Registered Sensory Scientist automatically entitles you to Chartered Scientist status.

Core Membership

To join one of our professional registers you will need to be a member of IFST, with the minimum requirement being Post-graduate Associate level. As a member of IFST, you will receive a number of tangible benefits as well as a passport to knowledge, contacts and professional development at every stage of your career. To find out more about the benefits of IFST membership, please click here

Contact us

If you have any questions about IFST Membership Levels and Professional Recognition, please contact us at membership@ifst.org

11/08/2021
Professional recognition flowchart 2021 final.pdf