Career as Food Inspector

A food inspector 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 food inspector demands to inspect the food processing and manufacturing companies to supervise the production process and collect samples. He or she further sends the samples for research. He or she ensures the food ingredients and preservatives used in the production for human consumption meets the quality standards. He or she also makes sure the food is hygienic and processed in a clean surrounding. A food inspector may cancel the license of food processing and manufacturing entities if found violating the standard regulations under the food safety and standards act. 2006.  

Analysis

It is the duty of the food inspector to ensure safety and the quality of ingredients used for producing food items. A food inspector also keeps an eye out 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 them 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, 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 food inspectors and relevant careers. We have provided below 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. They are also known as Quality Assurance Supervisors and are responsible for performing checks, reviewing samples and supervising manufacturing processes. They work in production departments or production lines. They make sure you should not get sick from the food or medication you consume. For almost all manufactured goods, like food, medicines, 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 clears 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 utilise 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're 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 can't 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 food inspector? To clear your questions, scroll and read.

Does Food Inspector require travelling?

Likely

Yes, since 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 traveling 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 food inspector demands to stay 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 where he or she is going to do a food inspection on that particular day.

A food inspector doesn’t really have a fixed work location. They might have to go and inspect a high-end restaurant located in a nice urban location. But, they 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 food inspector, there is hardly any time pressure for food inspectors. They are required to work as per their schedule which includes the responsibilities and inspections assigned to them. The time pressure is almost negligible in the job except for inspection days when the supervisors cross-verify the work of food inspectors.

Overtime Details

Typically, in a career as food inspector, they are required to work for 9 hours per day. They usually work in indoor settings going through the files and documents of various food projects. However, during inspection days they 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 interrupts during the inspection and monitoring the processes involved in food manufacturing. 

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

Technical Skills:  They need to be strong in instrument handling. A food inspector should have the ability to handle a variety of instruments based on the requirement. They must have computer proficiency and be able to handle software like Microsoft software. For example Word/Excel/PowerPoint for compiling reports. A food inspector must have the report writing ability. They must be able to defend one’s report 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 are 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 of what to do what and how to conclude is critical thinking. It generates a strategy in 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 essential management skills 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 of 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 the 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.

A career as food insector comes with several job roles with varying job responsibilities. One can acquire these job roles while progressing in the industry after gaining a certain experience. 

 Food Sub-Inspector: A food sub-inspector is involved with various companies that produce consumables. Their job is to certify health codes for these products. It is an entry-level job. Food sub-inspectors are responsible for implementing health codes in institutions where consumables are made and provided. This might include not only food chains, and also retail outlets like grocery stores, and production lines like meat processing plants and industrial plants for milk processing.

Food Inspector: A food inspector is responsible to measure as well as analyse the safety levels of the products used in the end product. They inspect the process and equipment used to manufacture the end product. It is the responsibility of the food inspector to monitor food retailers, producers and suppliers for compliance with food safety standards so the food stays hygienic and free of infections of any type. Food inspectors are generally employed in the health agencies, manufacturing plants and particular government departments.

Senior Food Inspector:  A senior food inspector is someone who is responsible to perform quality and safety checks on various consumables produced either by a company or a restaurant. He or she generally comes with a team of juniors at the site of work. He evaluates the quality and sanitation of the equipment and materials being used including the location where the ingredients are indeed being processed to quality standards. In an escalating company, he applies for support and makes them align with domestic or international health and safety regulations.

With every passing day food outlets, processing units, all of them are increasing. From small eating hubs to large-scale procurement of government undertakings. The demand for a food inspector is supposed to increase in the future and is increasing in the current scenario as well.The food inspector number 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/production units and other food-related undertakings. 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 the 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, 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 the 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 the 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.