What Do Food Batchmakers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Food Batchmakers set up and operate equipment that mixes or blends ingredients used in the manufacturing of food products. Includes candy makers and cheese makers. They also record production and test data for each food product batch, such as the ingredients used, temperature, test results, and time cycle.

Other tasks include:

• Follow recipes to produce food products of specified flavor, texture, clarity, bouquet, or color.
• Set up, operate, and tend equipment that cooks, mixes, blends, or processes ingredients in the manufacturing of food products, according to formulas or recipes.
• Mix or blend ingredients, according to recipes, using a paddle or an agitator, or by controlling vats that heat and mix ingredients.
• Clean and sterilize vats and factory processing areas.
• Select and measure or weigh ingredients, using English or metric measures and balance scales.
• Fill processing or cooking containers, such as kettles, rotating cookers, pressure cookers, or vats, with ingredients, by opening valves, by starting pumps or injectors, or by hand.

We asked Food Batchmakers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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61% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 46% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Food Batchmakers record production and test data for each food product batch, such as the ingredients used, temperature, test results, and time cycle. They follow recipes to produce food products of specified flavor, texture, clarity, bouquet, or color.

A typical day for a Food Batchmaker will also include:

• Set up, operate, and tend equipment that cooks, mixes, blends, or processes ingredients in the manufacturing of food products, according to formulas or recipes.
• Press switches and turn knobs to start, adjust, and regulate equipment, such as beaters, extruders, discharge pipes, and salt pumps.
• Turn valve controls to start equipment and to adjust operation to maintain product quality.
• Select and measure or weigh ingredients, using English or metric measures and balance scales.
• Fill processing or cooking containers, such as kettles, rotating cookers, pressure cookers, or vats, with ingredients, by opening valves, by starting pumps or injectors, or by hand.

We asked some Food Batchmakers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	30% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	47% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	67% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	19% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	19% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	52% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Food Batchmakers also clean and sterilize vats and factory processing areas. They may also inspect vats after cleaning to ensure that fermentable residue has been removed.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Food Batchmakers Homogenize or pasteurize material to prevent separation or to obtain prescribed butterfat content, using a homogenizing device. They might also Inspect and pack the final product.

In addition, they Cool food product batches on slabs or in water-cooled kettles.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Give directions to other workers who are assisting in the batchmaking process.

To some Food Batchmakers, it is also their responsibility to Follow recipes to produce food products of specified flavor, texture, clarity, bouquet, or color.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Food Batchmaker, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/production/food-and-tobacco-processing-workers.htm

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/

http://www.fda.gov/

http://www.gmaonline.org/