What Do Food Batchmakers Do

• Record production and test data for each food product batch, such as the ingredients used, temperature, test results, and time cycle.
• 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.

Typical day

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 turns 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.

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.