A taste tester’s responsibilities typically include product testing and quality control in order to determine the attractiveness, taste, and smell of a specific food. Various procedures may be used, but in general, smelling and tasting a piece of food is required. Aesthetic aspects of a dish or food may be taken into account to ensure that the color is appealing and appropriate for the product’s flavor. Following that, the taste tester must provide useful and relevant information about the item, describe the taste, and make recommendations to food scientists and managers based on his or her findings.
Much of what a taste tester does is based on determining various qualities about the taste and smell of different foods, as the job title suggests. Food technicians with a background in the science of food production are frequently employed in this position. A taste tester’s job often starts with an examination of a dish’s aesthetic elements, such as color and visual texture. If someone is testing a new candy that is supposed to taste like grape, for example, the color and other aspects of the food should reinforce this flavor and bring the food together.
Following a visual inspection, the taster is likely to consider other sensory aspects of the food, particularly smell and flavor. The scent should indicate whether it will be sweet or savory, and the tester can help determine how well a specific item does this. It’s also important that the smell is pleasant, and the taste corresponds to the food’s objectives. If the grape candy in the previous example does not taste like what most people think of when they think of “grape,” the taste tester tries to explain why.
One of the most important aspects of a taste tester’s job is the information they provide. This is used by other food scientists to assess how well the product achieves its objectives and to consider any additional steps that may be required in its development. While conducting a test, it is critical for a taste tester to provide both quantitative, numerical data and qualitative, descriptive information. An item may be subjected to additional testing, and the tester may be in charge of cleaning the testing area and ensuring that sanitary conditions are maintained.