How to become a Food Safety Inspector
If you like the food industry but have found yourself wishing that you could make more money and do something a bit more important then one possibility is the job of food safety inspector. These men and women inspect anyplace where food is prepared such as restaurants, supermarkets and food factories. It is their job to protect the health of the public and because of this getting a job as a food safety inspector might not be as easy as you would imagine.
The first thing that you will need to do is to get an undergraduate degree. There are a few degrees that can qualify you for this type of work. Agriculture, chemistry or biology are all possibilities. This means that it can also be a good job for someone who is planning to go into higher levels of science.
Once you have a degree you will want to take certification classes. There should be a local bureau of food and meat inception in your area which will offer the class. You might be able to get a job without this with a company that is doing their own inspections but this will get you a better paying job and put you ahead of the competition.
Next you will want to take the USDA inspection training program. This class like the other is going to be needed for almost any food safety inspector job and all of the best jobs. It will teach you about good agricultural practices and and other food security guidelines.
While you are getting all of this you will want to find a job working in the food industry. The more time you have working in the related field the better. Becoming the manager of a fast food restaurant or even a part time worker will help not only in getting the job but paying for the school you need as well.
The most likely place to get a job once you have the qualifications is with the government. Every town has at least one, and usually multiple, food safety inspectors and because the requirements are so specific the jobs are easier to get than you might expect. This is not the only choice though. Many companies such as fast food chains have their own food safety inspectors who are meant to keep a higher standard. Finally, there are inspection firms who do the same job but for a variety of different businesses and are almost always looking to expand.
