FOOD TESTER & GRADER

JOB DESCRIPTION

Food Graders work on production lines sorting products according to pre-established grades. They are responsible for maximizing the overall product yield by carefully selecting and sorting according to size, shape and grade. Also, they ensure that bad or damaged products are removed from the production line and don’t get processed.

Graders must be familiar with a full range of products and sort according to customer specifications. If you like working as part of a team and are able to thrive working at a fast pace, this may be the job for you.

THE WORK ENVIRONMENT

Food Testers and Graders are frequently on their feet, moving around, lifting, twisting, and reaching. It’s common to work in 8 or 12 hour shifts as part of a rotating schedule. Your daily work will take place in a large warehouse – style facility that has room to host large equipment, conveyor belts, and shipping and receiving bays. A certain amount of endurance and physical fitness is required to fulfill your duties.

Fruit and Vegetable plants tend to run on the cool side to keep the products fresh and to reduce spoilage. As with all manufacturing plants, you can expect a higher noise level with the machinery running constantly, as well as exposure to humidity.

PPE is required when in the production facility, including gloves, hair/ beard nets, steel toe boots and shoes, aprons, and possibly masks or hard hats depending on the area. However, under your PPE you are able to dress casually and wear what’s comfortable.

FACT: Busy season in the Canadian Fish & Seafood industry typically starts in April and ends in October depending on what product your organization processes.

FOOD TESTER & GRADER SALARY

Low Range

$31K+ annually
$16 per hour

Average

$43K annually
$22 per hour

High Range

$70K+ annually
$36 per hour

*Annual salary calculated by 37.5 hr work week, and by a 52 weeks per year

As with most industries, your salary or hourly wage is based on your experience and education. Being a hard worker and a productive and dependable team member also go a long way in securing a higher salary.

Food production facilities often have long operational hours and are looking for team members with flexible hours to fulfill their production needs. Some employers offer an extra $1-$3 per hour for less favourable shifts, and weekly bonuses to remain competitive.

Many employers offer standard benefit packages including health care, dental, vision, RRSP contributions, paid time off and holiday pay. Some employers may even offer employee engagement and recognition programs to keep their teams motivated.

FOOD TESTER & GRADER JOB DUTIES

Here are some of the job duties that a food tester and grader are responsible for:

Examine ingredients or finished products by sight, touch, taste and smell or weigh materials to ensure conformance to company standards.
Grade and sort raw materials, advising supervisors of any product deficiencies.
Assist in washing and packaging of products.
Moving and handling of raw materials as required.
Participate in cleaning and sanitation of work areas observing Good Manufacturing Practices.
Take samples of products at various stages of processing and check final products to ensure they are meeting company standards.
Participate in maintaining any food safety-related documentation.

BECOMING A FOOD TESTER & GRADER

Competitiveness & Availability

In Canada, food testers and graders are always in high demand as they perform a critical frontline job. This is a reliable career to call home and is a position that’s available in most areas of the food and beverage manufacturing industry. As you gain experience there are endless opportunities for advancement including opportunities to work your way up to a team lead, a supervisor or even a manager.

Advancement Opportunities

As you gain experience there are endless opportunities for advancement including opportunities to work your way up to a team lead, a supervisor or even a manager. If you’re new to the field, working with your company’s products daily will allow you to master the craft of properly identifying product quality and testing up to company standards. In fact, most testers and graders learn all their skills on the job through repetition and guidance from seasoned supervisors – so don’t worry if you haven’t got any experience.

Education

Many employers require a Food Safe Level 1 certification and completion of your high school diploma or equivalency. Any prior experience in a food manufacturing environment is always valuable.

Throughout Canada, many Colleges offer a 1-2 year certificate or diploma program in food processing and safety, introducing you to the skills, safety and business side of things. While you can (and do) learn on the job, programs like these can bring you up to speed faster and expose you to the full gamut of possibilities – fast-tracking your career.

Any education in food safety, food science, processing/ manufacturing or production are also highly attractive to employers. You may want to consider some short courses in food safety and other industry-related topics, such as: