Smells samples of food for odors or tastes for prescribed flavor. Observes sample smear, sediment disk, or agar sample through microscope to identify bacterial or extraneous matter. Compares test results with standards and records results. Cleans laboratory equipment. May mix ingredients to make reagents. May operate calculating machine to compute percentages of ingredients in finished product. May be identified according to quality or product tested. A food taster is a quality assurance worker whose responsibilities are to test food products for different characteristics, such as appearance, smell, taste, flavor, and quality of the ingredients. Your duties in this career include taking small bites of different products and judging them against specific standards laid out by the manufacturer or cooking department. Some food tasters work full-time as food technicians, scientists, and marketers. Other food tasters are everyday consumers who consult for companies. Many of these consumers work in other fields in the food industry.
