Agricultural and Fish Products Inspectors

Nature of work

Agricultural and fish products inspectors inspect agricultural and fish products to make sure they meet production, storage, and transportation standards. Inspectors may specialize in fish and fish products, fruits and vegetables, grain, meat, or seeds and plant products. They work for government departments and agencies and private sector food processing companies. Supervisors of agricultural and fish products inspectors are also included in this group.

Job duties

Fish and fish products inspectors:

• Inspect fish, fish products, fish handling and processing methods and prepare reports and make sure that regulations are followed.

Fruit and vegetables inspectors:

• Inspect fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables at inspection centres and prepare reports on crop production and market conditions.

Grain inspectors:

• Inspect and grade all classes of grain at terminal elevators, monitor the fumigation of infested grain, and examine storage, handling, and transportation equipment to make sure that sanitary procedures are followed.

Meat inspectors:

• Monitor the operations and sanitary conditions of slaughtering and meat processing plants and inspect carcasses to make sure they are fit for human consumption.

Plant protection inspectors:

• Certify seed crops, oversee the quarantine, treatment or destruction of plants and plant products, and the fumigation of plants and plant product imports and exports.

Sample job titles

• agricultural products inspector
• animal health inspector
• crop certification inspector
• fish and fish products inspector
• fish inspector-grader
• food products inspector
• fruit and vegetables inspector
• livestock inspector
• meat inspector
• poultry inspector

Skills

• You should enjoy technical work and have an interest in science. A high degree of manual dexterity and mechanical ability may be necessary. You must be precise and analytical, and able to work alone or as part of a team. Good oral and written communication skills are important. Familiarity with computers is also required for some positions. Physical stamina may be needed for fieldwork.

Job requirements

• High school is required.
• Government inspectors usually require a bachelor's degree or college diploma in agriculture, biology, chemistry, food processing technology or a related discipline.
• Inspectors (other than government) may require a bachelor's degree or college diploma in a related discipline.
• Completion of in-house training courses is required.

Other considerations

• Several years of experience in agricultural production or fish processing are usually required. Resource conservation and environmental concerns may help to generate job opportunities for people in these jobs. People in these jobs usually work regular hours; however, irregular hours may be required to follow through on an experiment or fieldwork. Progression to managerial positions in this field is possible with experience.

No regulating bodies were found under this occupation profile

Contacts