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- Make sure slaughterhouses and meat producers are working safely and hygienically
- You'll need to have good people skills, observational skills and the ability to cope with unpleasant sights and smells
- Progress into management or move into food retail or manufacturing roles
As a meat hygiene inspector, you could work in the food trade, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) or with veterinary officials.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Inspecting the hygiene in slaughterhouses, cutting plants, factories and cold stores
- Checking animal welfare conditions
- Inspecting live animals, game or poultry for signs of disease
- Helping to carry out post mortems on diseased animals
- Checking meat transportation conditions
- Making sure unfit meat is destroyed
- Suggesting improvements, making sure they're carried out
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You could work in a factory, which at times may be hot or cold, and protective clothing would be required.
You'll need
For this role, you'll need thoroughness and attention to detail, the ability to work well with others, patience in stressful situations, thinking and reasoning skills, the ability to analyse quality and performance, customer service skills, excellent verbal communication skills, and the ability to monitor your own performance and that of your colleagues.
To work as a meat hygiene inspector, you'll need to complete the Level 2 Certificate for Proficiency in Poultry Meat Inspection, and Level 4 Diploma for Proficiency in Meat Inspection. You must be working in the meat industry to do the practical assessments needed to complete the courses.
You'll need a driving licence to travel to different locations.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could progress to become a manager in food retail or manufacturing, or a supervisor or manager in the FSA.