What You'll Do

  • Conduct standardized tests on food, beverages, additives, or preservatives to ensure compliance with standards and regulations regarding factors such as color, texture, or nutrients.
  • Provide assistance to food scientists or technologists in research and development, production technology, or quality control.
  • Compute moisture or salt content, percentages of ingredients, formulas, or other product factors, using mathematical and chemical procedures.
  • Record or compile test results or prepare graphs, charts, or reports.
  • Analyze test results to classify products or compare results with standard tables.
  • Taste or smell foods or beverages to ensure that flavors meet specifications or to select samples with specific characteristics.
  • Examine chemical or biological samples to identify cell structures or to locate bacteria or extraneous material, using a microscope.
  • Mix, blend, or cultivate ingredients to make reagents or to manufacture food or beverage products.
  • Measure, test, or weigh bottles, cans, or other containers to ensure that hardness, strength, or dimensions meet specifications.
  • Order supplies needed to maintain inventories in laboratories or in storage facilities of food or beverage processing plants.

Essential Skills

Reading Comprehension 3.75/5
Active Listening 3.5/5
Writing 3.5/5
Speaking 3.5/5
Science 3.25/5
Critical Thinking 3.25/5
Monitoring 3.12/5
Coordination 3.12/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.12/5
Quality Control Analysis 3.12/5
Active Learning 3.0/5
Instructing 3.0/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.

Common styles

Attention to Detail, Dependability, Independence, Integrity, Adaptability/Flexibility

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Near Vision 3.88/5
Oral Comprehension 3.75/5
Written Comprehension 3.75/5
Oral Expression 3.75/5
Written Expression 3.75/5
Deductive Reasoning 3.62/5
Inductive Reasoning 3.62/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.5/5

Technologies & Tools

Apache JMeter Apache Struts Database software Graphical user interface GUI design software Graphics software IBM Lotus Notes IBM WebSphere Linux Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft SQL Server Microsoft Visio Microsoft Word Oracle WebLogic Server Presentation software Red Hat WildFly SAP software

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.69/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.43/5)
  • Independence (High importance: 4.33/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.27/5)
  • Adaptability/Flexibility (High importance: 4.17/5)

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How to Become One

This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Beer Brewer Biotechnician Bottle House QC Technician (Bottle House Quality Control Technician) Butter Fat Tester Central Laboratory Technician (CLT) Cheese Tester Cream Tester Dairy and Food Laboratory Assistant (Dairy and Food Lab Assist) Dairy Laboratory Technician (Dairy Lab Tech) Dairy Technician (Dairy Tech) Dairy Technologist Dairy Tester Data Control Assistant Fermentologist Flavor Technician (Flavor Tech) Food Analyst Food Products Tester Food QC Technician (Food Quality Control Technician) Food Quality Technician (Food Quality Tech) Food Safety QA Tech (Food Safety Quality Assurance Technician) Food Safety Technician (Food Safety Tech) Food Science Tech (Food Science Technician) Food Taster Food Technician (Food Tech) Food Tester Fruit Tester Juice Standardizer Juice Tester Laboratory Assistant (Lab Assistant) Laboratory Technician (Lab Tech) Malt Specifications Control Assistant Milk Tester QA Lab Tech (Quality Assurance Lab Technician) QC Tech (Quality Assurance Technician) QC Tech (Quality Control Technician) Quality Analyst Quality Assurance Analyst (QA Analyst) Quality Tech (Quality Technician) Research Technician (Research Tech) Seed Analyst Sensory Scientist Sugarcane Research Technician (Sugarcane Research Tech) Taste Tester Test Baker Yeast Culture Developer