And contrary to what some believe, they don't prepare meals with the foods they're tasting either. Those who taste the taste take small bites of a particular food, allowing them to really evaluate its various components. They then spit it out and clean their palates to prepare for the next sample by drinking water or maybe even gargling. What do you call a professional catalytic converter? What do you call a professional food taster? As a professional taster, you know what you like, but it's also important to be in touch with what consumers demand.
The first group takes food samples as part of their work, while the second group only participates in taste tests. Between these two extremes are companies such as MMR Research Worldwide, which carry out sensory and consumer market studies for companies in the food, beverage and personal care sectors, such as Dunkin' Donuts, Unilever, Barilla and Kellogg's. All potential tasters have to do is fill out a form with basic demographic information and dietary preferences and they will be notified when the tests are available. In case you were curious, “contrary to what a lot of people might think, you don't need to go to culinary school to become a professional taster,” Freiman says.
In fact, when you apply for a job as a professional taster, your language is, for all intents and purposes, the real interviewee, says Schroeder. Listen to the job title of “professional flavor tester” and you could imagine someone who gorges himself on chocolates all day and who takes breaks between bites just long enough to scribble notes before treating himself again. Meanwhile, Schwan Food Company, which is headquartered in Marshall, Minnesota, and sells frozen foods at home and in grocery stores, invites people who live near the company's headquarters to become paid flavor testers.
