Additional Information
You can get into quality control inspection in a number of ways. Food inspector
Bruce D'Andrea says his background is in agriculture, but the agency also
has food services experts, chemists, biologists and graduates of veterinary
medicine. They also hire graduates from technical food sciences programs.
D'Andrea also recommends getting some work experience in the processing
side of the food industry. "Dairy processing, meat packing, food processing
or some other useful kind of background," he advises. If nothing else, it
looks good on a resume. And it gives you an insider's knowledge of how things
work.
Don Voeller, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspector in Portland,
Oregon, says it helps to have a well-rounded education. "It's not all science,
although you need 30 semester hours of science," he says.
Successful applicants typically have a college diploma or university degree
in food science, environmental studies, chemistry, health and safety or a
related discipline.