Food Quality Technician

Are you the kind of person who can name every ingredient in a dish just by tasting it? Do you have a sensitive palate and enjoy trying different foods? Becoming a Food Quality Technician is a good way to use these skills. As a Food Quality Technician, you get to spend your days sampling foods, evaluating their quality, and ensuring that the rest of us receive a safe dinner.

Food Quality Technicians typically work at production facilities, taking samples as food and drink products move down the line. That sample is then scrutinized for weight, color, consistency, and texture. You check measurements and quality using scales, visual exams, and taste tests. Then you compare batches with one another to ensure a uniform product from batch to batch, pulling inferior units along the way. Your efforts ensure that every Oreo in the package looks and tastes the same.

In addition to the food itself, you appraise the ingredient labels to make sure they’re readable. You also work to reduce the number of damaged packaging that leaves the facility. You check for torn bags, dented cans, and bruised fruit. When you’re done, each product is up to code, safe for consumption, and ready for the table.

Your fine-tuned sense of taste is only one characteristic that will aid you in this position. You also need adequate vision, the ability to distinguish minute differences between products, and a dedication to quality.