How to become Food Inspector

Are you the aspiring candidate who wants to know all about How to become Food Inspector? Then, here is a step-by-step guide on how to become a food inspector – Role, responsibility, eligibility criteria, exam, syllabus, and preparation. Most importantly the article also explains in detail the salary of food inspector. Read the article till the end to know all the details.

Many candidates do not know that a government job related to the food sector also exists. Yes, it exists and is known as Food Inspector. As the name suggests as a food inspector you are responsible to inspect the quality of food products with proper hygiene. Let us learn about the food inspector more in detail.

Who is Food Inspector

The Food Inspector is the one who is responsible to maintain the quality of the food product along with the safety and security of the same. They also look into the matter of hygiene and quality of equipment used for the production and manufacturing of the food. The Food Inspector even checks the quality and quantity of the ingredients used in the food products.

Role & Responsibility of Food Inspector

The role & responsibility of Food Inspector are as listed below.

The duty of the Food Inspector is to keep track of the food-processing plants which will be used for the production of the food.
They keep eye on the hygiene of the place where the food products will be stored.
They focus to keep the food product away from any adulteration to maintain the quality and standard of the product as the Law of Land.
The quality of the food product is cross-checked on regular basis before letting out in the market for business purpose or procured by the central or state government.
They are the one who makes it sure that the food product produced is good or not for the human diet.
In case of any violation of norms to maintain the food quality, strict action will be taken by the regulatory body.
In case of mislabeling of food products during the import will be verified properly.
The live animals and their slaughtering are checked regularly to make their consumption worthwhile.
The food that is shipped and ingredients used in this are inspected well from the perspective of both customer and industry production.

To become Food Inspector you must be a Graduate in any field. After the completion of graduation, you need to full fill the eligibility criteria to apply for the state or national level food inspector exam. The national level exam is conducted by UPSC.

Let’s go in-depth about the process and basic requirements needed to be a Food Inspector. Read the article till the end to get updated with the information. This will not over-burden you but will brief you in detail about its age limit, criteria, salary, and many more.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for state level and national level Food Inspector Exam you need to posses some criteria. The eligibility criteria to become food inspector are as listed below.

Age Limit

The minimum age required to be a Food inspector is in between 18-25 years.

Educational Criteria

The aspirant must hold a Bachelor’s degree in subjects like B.Sc/B.Tech or a master’s degree in food technology, agriculture science, pharmacy, dairy technology from an authorized university.
The Ph.D. degree will help you to become a scientist in this field and do the research work.
The candidate who can be graduated from a medical college can appear in this exam.
The candidate who has cleared the GATE/ CSIR NET/ ICAR NET to apply for the Food Inspector post.

Exam & Preparation

The exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission to select candidates from different parts of India as Food Inspector. This exam is known as UPSC Food Inspector Exam. This exam is taken on both levels – State and National. For Maharashtra state, the exam is known as MPSC Food Inspector Exam. The portion for the state and national levels is one and the same.

UPSC Food Inspector Exam Paper Pattern

The Food Inspector Exam has 200 questions each carries one mark each
The exam will be conducted for three hours following an objective type pattern.
With every wrong answer, there is a deduction of 1/4th of the mark.

Food Inspector Exam Syllabus

To appear in this exam the candidate must understand the syllabus briefly. Go through the syllabus for Food Inspector and start your preparation.

Hindi Language

One-word Substitutions
Muahavare
Fill in the blank
Grammar
Idioms
Phrases

English Language

Error correction
Shuffling of sentence
Vocabulary
Synonyms
Fill in the blanks
Antonyms

General Knowledge

Indian History
Current affairs,
Indian culture and Heritage
General Sciences
Indian constitution and polity
Indian Economy
Geography
Current affair and international importance

Mathematics

Complex numbers solutions of Triangle
Cartesian system of rectangular coordinates
Cones section
Trigonometric functions
Straight lines

Computer Skills

Uses of computer
Basic knowledge of computer
Computer fundamentals
Computer terminology
Basic computer knowledge

Books & Study Material

Multiple Choice Question(MCQ) by the author P.M Kotecha
A book by William C Frazier, Dennis C Westoff, K N Vanitha for food microbiology
Food Safety officer book by author Khadya Suraksha Adhikari
A book by Durvesh Kumari, S.K Goyal, and Suresh Chandra for preparing the Food safety office

Tips to crack Food Inspector Exam

1. Early Preparation

Food Inspector is one of the competitive exams. It is not going to be an easy task to crack it then let it be state level or national level. Simultaneously many candidates also apply for vacancies. So, if you want to come out with flying colors in this competitive exam you should start your preparation early.

Last moment studies are not at all going to help you. Start Exam Preparation after the 12th itself. You will get the total span of the graduation period to prepare for the examination.

2. Attention on all the subjects

Give overall attention to all the subjects. Focus more on the subject which you find difficult.

3. Solve all your doubts

Try solving all your doubts at that particular time only. Do not proceed further by keeping a doubt. Get a solution to your doubts and issues.

4. Constant Reading

If you want to crack this exam it is mandatory for you to develop a reading habit. Read more of newspapers. Surely, this will enhance your General Knowledge and Current Affairs.

5. Time Management

Proper time management and scheduled time table is a perfect key solution to crack this examination. Balance time management with all the subjects and distribute the time evenly.

6. Smart Study with proper guidance

The prior most step before starting the preparation is to understand the examination pattern and syllabus. Study accordingly is a smart study.

7.Previous Year Paper Solving

After the preparation revision is a must. Yes, I do agree but with revision previous year paper solving is also a must. You will understand the paper pattern and will be used to and prepared for the examination.

Type of Job Role for a Food Inspector

Food Scientists

The role of the food scientists to inspect the food product and to check the amount of the chemical added to it. They look into the packaging of the product and preservation of the same.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Their role is to look into the safety of the product and decrease the effect of the tobacco product as it is not good for consumption

Health Inspector

The role of the Health inspector is to visits bakeries, restaurants, hotels, and food manufacturing hubs to keep track of the hygiene and the quality of the products used. They also keep eye on the hygiene of the utensils, kitchen area, and the employee working there.

In case of any degradation of quality or any poor or deteriorated activities found in the hotels, bakeries, and other places penalty is charged to the one who owes it.

Food Technologist

They look into the hygiene of the food and its packing too. In case of any additives, they test the quality of food before preservative it. Reports are submitted after proper checking and testing of the product.

Salary of Food Inspector

The salary varies from state to state. In the case of the government sector, the salary ranges between Rs.35, 000 to Rs.40, 000 plus some extra allowances.

In the case of the private sector the basic salary is Rs.20, 000 with time and experience there will be a hike in salary gradually.

Top Recruiting Companies for Food Inspector

There are three companies that deals more in this are listed below

State Public Service Commission (SPSC)
Department of Food Safety and Health, Government of India
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

Employment Sector

The sectors in which Food inspectors are hired are health agencies and the government department that produce or manufacture plants, Big Industries which deals with food product manufacturing and ingredients too. Even Private industries and company deals in the manufacturing of the same. Dairy products are also one of the sectors of employment.

Career Scope For Food Inspector

Currently with the increase in the food safety regulation and by both International and national agencies and to strengthen the quality of the food both the government sector and federal sector are responsible. These days’ private companies are also involved in the same.

Food Inspectors are engaged in checking both the private and government units.

Also Read

Best Colleges in India to pursue the course

Some of the best colleges in India are as follows to study Food technology related branches-

IIT Kharagpur to study Food Technology
IIT Guwahati for Food technology
Amity University
Jadavpur University
NIIT University, Neemrana
Anna University, Chennai
IIT Roorkee
Lovely Professional University, Phagwara
Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani

Conclusion

To sum up, this all the step by step procedure on how to become food inspector. Hope this simple guide will help you to convert your dream of Food Inspector into success. Do not forget to share your experience with me. Lets get connected. You can connect me by commenting in the comment box.

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