Food Inspector Job Description

FOOD INSPECTOR SUMMARY OF FUNCTIONS

The Food Inspector measures and analyzes the safety and quality of ingredients the company purchases, products made by the company, and the processes and equipment used to convert ingredients into products.

FOOD INSPECTOR ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Inspect and accept/reject incoming shipments of food and food ingredients on the basis of food safety requirements, as well as customer, regulatory, industry standards, and internal requirements
• Update raw materials inventory with results of receiving inspections
• Ensure food safety, security, and sanitation systems are maintained in accordance with cGMP, cGWP, HACCP, and other guidelines – conduct periodic inspections of facilities, equipment, practices, etc.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Reports directly to the Food Safety Team Leader. Works in conjunction with the organization’s processing, storage, and logistics staff to conduct inspections.

PROCEDURES

The Food Inspector Job Description is mentioned in the following procedures:

FOOD INSPECTOR QUALIFICATIONS

A bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, or agricultural science is required. 2+ years of experience in the area of food processing, storage, shipping, or receiving is preferred.

Good communication skills and the ability to work well with people at all levels are essential. Strong math and organizational skills are a must, as is attention to detail.

Candidate will need to gain food safety inspection certification within six months of hire date.

FOOD INSPECTOR PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Ability to communicate orally with customers, vendors, management, and coworkers is crucial. Regular use of phone and email for communication is essential. Hearing and vision correctable to within normal ranges is essential for normal conversations, receiving ordinary information, and preparing or inspecting documents.

The ability to remain in a stationary position roughly 50% of the time, as well as the ability to routinely move about office and plant facilities (conducting onsite inspections, etc.), is required.

Occasional heavy lifting (50+ lbs.) may be expected, though exertion of about 15 lbs. of force (e.g., moving computers, testing equipment to use at processing/storage site) is more common. Good manual dexterity required to use computers, mobile devices, testers, gages, etc.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The job is sometimes performed indoors in a traditional office setting (25-30%) but is more often carried out in food processing and storage facilities.