HOW TO GET THERE
Typical pathway
A typical pathway starts in high school with biology, chemistry, math, and English, plus any agriculture, foods, or environmental science courses your school offers. After graduation, many people take a college or university program in agriculture, food science, animal science, aquaculture, or a related field, and some employers may prefer post-secondary study in a specialty that matches the work. It can also help to gain early experience through co-op, summer, or entry-level work in farms, food processing, inspection, or quality control. Requirements can vary by employer, province, and the product area being inspected.
THE WORK
What you may do
Legacy duties
- Fish and fish products inspectors inspect fish, fish products, fish handling and processing methods and prepare reports and ensure 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 ensure that sanitary procedures are followed.
- Meat inspectors monitor the operations and sanitary conditions of slaughtering and meat processing plants and inspect carcasses to ensure they are fit for 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.