How to Become a Food Inspector

A food inspector is a professional who is responsible for certifying health codes in companies engaged in producing various consumables, falling under any category ranging from restaurants to food manufacturing plants. A career as a food inspector demands inspecting the food processing and manufacturing companies to supervise the production process and collect samples. He or she further sends the samples for research and ensures the food ingredients and preservatives used in the production for human consumption meet the quality standards. A food inspector makes sure the food is hygienic and processed in clean surroundings. 

A career as a food inspector has the right to cancel the license of food processing and manufacturing entities if found violating the standard regulations under the food safety and standards act. 2006.

Analysis

The main role of food inspector is to ensure the safety and the quality of ingredients used for producing food items. A food inspector also keeps an eye on what the company buys, what food products it produces, the processes, and the equipment used to make the products.

Inspection

It is the core responsibility of a food inspector to inspect food products and accept or reject them according to their quality. They also examine the food ingredients and determine the safety requirements, regulatory and industry standards, and several other aspects.

Ensuring safety

A career as a food inspector requires them to ensure food safety and security. He or she also ensures that the sanitation systems are kept and maintained according to the guidelines of the authority.

There are several types of a food inspector and relevant careers. We have provided the major ones below with their varying responsibilities. 

Quality Inspector: A Quality Inspector should inspect the quality of a company's incoming and outgoing materials and components. He or she is also known as Quality Assurance Supervisor and is responsible for performing checks, reviewing samples, and supervising manufacturing processes. Quality Inspector works in production departments or production lines. He or she makes sure you should not get sick from the food or medication you consume. For almost all manufactured goods, like food and other products, these staffs control the standards of quality.

Food Technician: Under the guidance of food scientists, food technicians perform studies and assist with tests on refined food products, chemicals, and containers. A great deal of the work is spent researching food to make sure it meets human consumption standards and regulations. Food technician prepares and clear tools and equipment, as well as aids teachers with demonstration lectures and procedures, and also help to schedule, develop, and coordinate processes, practices, and guidelines.

Food Quality Assurance Manager: Food quality control managers are liable for making sure that food ingredients meet requirements set by the industries as well as regulators. They will create and review policies on quality and health, and conduct audits by third-party investigators. They also work to improve the efficiency and profitability of an organization by cutting waste.

Agricultural Inspector: The Agriculture Inspector is someone who works to prevent food-borne diseases and provide healthy food to everyone. Anything that we eat does not come directly to us, especially in the cities. The food goes through numerous departments before finally coming to the consumer. The food crops in the field often get infected by pests and insects. To avoid this, the farmers spray pesticides and insecticides on crops.

Food Scientist: Food scientists utilize their knowledge in the subjects of chemistry, biology, food production, and processing. They also apply their knowledge in the functioning of techniques and equipment used in food processing and product. 

Dairy Technologist: Dairy technologists are food scientists who work primarily with dairy and dairy products. Dairy technologists study the chemical makeup and properties of milk, yoghurt, butter, ice cream, and cheese. These scientists might work for private businesses or universities, and sometimes they are self-employed.

As the work of a food inspector must be done away from a government office, food inspectors have a high degree of flexibility in their scheduling. For those people who cannot sit at a desk all day, a food inspector job offers frequent physical activity.  It is a field-based job that requires travelling to various places where food inspection is supposed to be conducted. Are you looking for information about how to become a food inspector? To clear your questions, scroll and read.

Does Food Inspector require travelling?

Likely

Yes, since a career as a food inspector is a field-based job it does require traveling from one place to another in order to do food checks. The travelling may be intercity or on the outskirts as well depending on the requirement.

Employment Shifts

Full Time

A career as a food inspector is a full-time based job. There is no way one can work from home or do this work on a part-time basis.

Employment Nature

Permanent

The nature of the employment in a career as a food inspector is permanent in nature, not a contractual one.

Work Place

Restaurants, Office, Food Processing Industries

A career as a food inspector demands staying on the field inspecting food processing and manufacturing entities. He or she also performs several duties in the office such as documentation. 

Presence in Geographical Area

Rural, Semi-urban, Urban

In a career as a food inspector, one may have to work in an urban, semi-urban as well as rural geographic location. It depends on where he or she is going to do a food inspection on that particular day. A food inspector does not really have a fixed work location. He or she might have to go and inspect a high-end restaurant located in a nice urban location. But, might go for an inspection in a food godown located in a semi-urban or a rural location on the other.

Time Pressure

Not Likely

In a career as a food inspector, there is hardly any time pressure for food inspectors. He or she is required to work as per their schedule which includes the responsibilities and inspections assigned to them. The time pressure is almost negligible on the job except for inspection days when the supervisors cross-verify the work of food inspectors.

Overtime Details

Typically, in a career as a food inspector, he or she is required to work for 9 hours per day. A food inspector usually works in indoor settings going through the files and documents of various food projects. However, during inspection days a food inspector might be required to work overtime because of travelling inconveniences.

Weekly Hours of Work

Min 40 Hours

A food inspector job is based on a minimum 40-hour workweek and occasional travel to other food processing plants. His or her work hours often get extended due to inspection duties which involve dealing with those who violate the law and interrupting during the inspection and monitoring the processes involved in food manufacturing. 

When it comes to how to become a food inspector, the first thing he or she should know about is the skills required to become a food inspector. Some of the essential skills we have mentioned are below.

Technical Skills:  A food inspector needs to be strong in instrument handling. He or she should have the ability to handle a variety of instruments based on the requirement. food inspector must have computer proficiency and be able to handle software like Microsoft software. For example Word, Excel or PowerPoint for compiling reports. A food inspector must have report writing ability. He or she must be able to defend one’s reports in case of legal proceedings.

Communication Skills: An aspiring food inspector must possess strong communication skills. Communication in the workplace is crucial to businesses as it helps organizations to be profitable and run properly. Workers can experience a rise in motivation, performance, and involvement if they would collaborate in a company. Communication skills help you to get everyone else to consider and appreciate. This may involve and is therefore not limited to expressing ideas effectively to others, participating actively in discussions, providing and obtaining meaningful suggestions, and public speaking.

Critical Thinking: A food inspector must possess the ability to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. Critical thinking is crucial because it enables members of the team to analyze issues more effectively and to recognize potential solutions that once will not look exactly noticeable. The ability to think logically and rationally about what to do and how to conclude is critical thinking. It generates a strategy for independent and reflective thinking. Anybody with critical thinking skills will grasp the connections between ideas.

Decision-Making Skills: Considering the relative costs and benefits of selecting the most suitable of possible acts. The capacity to make a decision and stick to that is the foundation of strong leadership competencies. Decision-making is a process that helps to continue in any business. Decision-making is an essential management skill and is particularly relevant for leaders. It is crucial in personal and professional life even daily. Possessing critical thinking abilities helps one to assess the issue and find a solution that helps the employees and the organization.

Attention to Safety: Scientific background in food safety which includes preparation, handling, and storage of food to minimize the risk of foodborne illness and other health hazards. Laboratory-based sciences such as biology, chemistry, physics, integrated science, or advanced laboratory science are essential to follow the principles to keep food items safe. Food safety regulations are a scientific concept specifying how food is treated, processed, and preserved in order to avoid or reduce food poisoning. It involves a lot of procedures to be practised to prevent potentially dangerous risks.

We have mentioned below several certifications in food science that individuals who aspire to become a food inspector can opt for.

Junior Food Inspector: A Junior Food Inspector is a professional who provides health codes to the companies that are producing food. A Junior Food Inspector ensures the food is produced as per the rules and safety regulations of the government.

Senior Food Inspector: A Senior Food Inspector is an experienced professional who makes sure the food is producing is healthy and safe for the people. A Senior Food Inspector inspects the food production and analyses the safety and quality of the food products.

With every passing day food outlets, and processing units, of them, are increasing. From small eating hubs to large-scale procurement of government undertakings. The demand for a food safety inspector is supposed to increase in the future and is increasing in the current scenario as well. The number of food inspector jobs currently in India is not that huge provided the country has such a huge population. Although most of the jobs are in the government sector only still their demand is increasing due to an increase in food joints or production units and other food-related undertakings. 

A career as a food inspector is required to keep a check on not only government undertakings but private bodies as well. Now if one is assertive that they own all those qualities which may turn them into a proficient Food Inspector, it is time to decide whether they want to offer their duties at a state level or national level.

With the intertwining of the global food chain auditing process, increasing pressure to enhance food safety, and more and more emphasis on food safety regulations by various national and international regulatory agencies, the streamlining of the inspections has emerged as one of the concerns among establishments involved in food processing. To strengthen it, the demand for food inspectors is vigorously growing in India. Although presently the government sector is liable for employing food inspectors, both state and federal agencies recruit food inspectors. However one may explore opportunities with private companies as well. 

Food inspectors are employed in inspecting both government-owned units as well as privately owned food processing establishments. To rationalize the audits and ensure compliance with food regulatory guidelines, the requirement for food inspectors is rising proportionally. The food industry is one of those industries where there can never be a recession. People will never stop eating. That is the basis of life. Hence, many companies have started to focus their business on food production, manufacturing, and delivery. Hence, it has become important that whatever food material is being sent out is of good quality. 

Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the standard is maintained and this is where a food inspector comes in. Ever since Foreign Direct Investment came to India the demand for food inspectors has also increased. The demand is still increasing due to more and more food chains being opened. A career in food inspection is where one can find that ideal endeavour of job advancement potential and a sense of ensuring the safety of the community.

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