Food quality specialists keep you from getting sick by enforcing food regulations.
When food is improperly handled, prepared or manufactured, it has the potential to make consumers extremely ill or even to cause death. Additionally, poorly produced foods are often less enticing to taste and see, which sometimes translates into decreased revenue and profit for the manufacturer. For these reasons, the food industry employs food quality specialists.
General Job Description
A food quality specialist, sometimes called a food safety specialist or food inspector, is a worker trained to locate defects in food. Specialists spot hazards within handling and manufacturing and, in some cases, come up with practical business or scientific ways to make food better. In general, their job is to make sure the food produced always meets a minimum standard.
Detailed Job Description
The exact duties of a food quality specialist vary depending on exactly where they work. Some food quality specialists conduct inspections of the buildings where foods are prepared or manufactured. They may take samples of the food to taste or visually assess. They make sure employees are adhering to food safety guidelines for their jurisdiction, do tests to check for microbes and other pollutants and oversee the cleanliness of the food manufacturing, sale or preparation site. They also write reports and recommendations and report food regulation violations to proper authorities. Food quality specialists may sort food that doesn't meet industry or manufacturer standards from foods that do. They also label foods, keep them at the proper temperatures and toss out anything that has expired. In some cases, food quality specialists take a scientific approach to their work, using a knowledge of agriculture, chemistry and biology to develop plant hybrids or develop particular textures, colors or reactions within a food product.
Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics includes food quality specialists within the general "inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers" category. The average annual salary for this category is $34,840, or $16.75 an hour. The range is $19,990 to $54,160 a year.
Because the BLS includes other workers aside from food quality specialists in the "inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers category," their figures are not necessarily representative of the food quality specialist field alone. This is evident via figures from other sources. For instance, the average salary for a food safety/quality specialist according to the Indeed website is $70,000 as of 2011. Similarly, ExploreHealthCareers.org provides a range of $35,000 to $70,000 based on 2008 data.
Where an FQS Works
Food quality specialists may work in restaurants, manufacturing plants or other businesses such as grocery stores that sell and produce food. They are also employed on farms and in government agencies that regulate food production.
Qualfications, Traits and Skills
Food quality specialists usually have at least a bachelor's degree in a science-related field. They often have certifications or endorsements related to food preparation, manufacturing and handling, such as that provided by the National Environmental Health Sciences and Protection Accreditation Council. Food safety specialists must be able to tolerate dry, humid, cold and hot environments, as well as noise and strong smells. They should have strong stomachs, as they sometimes find violations and food problems that can be described only as revolting. They should be organized, highly observant, comfortable giving direction and respectful of systematic processes and development. They also should be able to tolerate criticism and diffuse tensions through active communication.
