The food industry has multiple career options available, but the prime job of the food department is that of the Food Inspector who determines the quality of the food. He is responsible to keep track of the product from the manufacturing to the packing, till it is delivered to the consumer and ensures the quality of the product on behalf of the Government.
In order to become a food inspector, one has to sit for the examination held by the government. You can click here to attempt the FSSAI mock test. The notification related to it is present on the official website. The examination date is yet to be published and it will follow the FSSAI 2021 syllabus.
5 Facts About Food Inspector
The facts that one should keep in mind about a Food Inspector are-
- The candidate should be completely fit in order to do the field works and have an active sensory system.
- He should in fact be mentally prepared to work in unhygienic conditions also, as they need to inspect the meat and poultry departments, which might have poor maintenance.
- The food inspector receives all the facilities that a Standard Government Official Inspector can avail.
- A food inspector has to do his duty as a full-time employee, working on the field for 9 hours each day.
- It is not a gender-based job, so both men and women aged from18-42 years and having the required qualifications can be food inspectors.
Role of a Food Inspector
After the candidate is selected on merit-based performance, he has to fulfill certain roles and responsibilities as a food inspector.
- The very first role as a food inspector is to assign Health Codes to the companies which are engaged in processing food or serving the food to the customer.
- It is the responsibility of the food inspector to monitor that the manufacturing, processing, storage, sanitization, and distribution, are all done as per the licensed protocol.
- If there is any sort of contamination detected in the food product, it is the food inspector who has to investigate the possible reasons that led to the contamination of the item.
- The food inspector must have detailed knowledge of the laws and ethics and apply them well. If there is any violation caused in any regard, the food inspector has to give legal notice to the organization at fault.
Career Path Progression
Food Sub-Inspector: it is the entry-level job where one is required to implement the health codes to the companies and institutes producing consumables.
Senior Food Inspector: after some experience, when one qualifies as a Senior food inspector, they perform the quality and safety checks on items with a team of juniors working under them.
Consumer Safety Inspection: they work in one or more privately owned egg processing plants or meat and poultry departments, ensuring the legal procedures are followed.
Import Inspector: they are placed at various ports and are responsible to make sure that the imported products are as safe as those produced domestically.
Conclusion
Food Inspectors are potential candidates who can work with multiple associations and government organizations. Apart from analyzing and inspecting, writing reports, issuing notices, scheduling appointments form an integral part of their job roles.
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