What do Agricultural Inspectors do?

Inspect agricultural commodities, processing equipment, and facilities, and fish and logging operations, to ensure compliance with regulations and laws governing health, quality, and safety.

  • Inspect agricultural commodities or related operations, as well as fish or logging operations, for compliance with laws and regulations governing health, quality, and safety.
  • Inspect or test horticultural products or livestock to detect harmful diseases, chemical residues, or infestations and to determine the quality of products or animals.
  • Verify that transportation and handling procedures meet regulatory requirements.
  • Collect samples from animals, plants, or products and route them to laboratories for microbiological assessment, ingredient verification, or other testing.
  • Interpret and enforce government acts and regulations and explain required standards to agricultural workers.
  • Write reports of findings and recommendations and advise farmers, growers, or processors of corrective action to be taken.
  • Inspect the cleanliness and practices of establishment employees.
  • Monitor the operations and sanitary conditions of slaughtering or meat processing plants.
  • Inspect food products and processing procedures to determine whether products are safe to eat.
  • Take emergency actions, such as closing production facilities, if product safety is compromised.
  • Monitor the grading performed by company employees to verify conformance to standards.
  • Label and seal graded products and issue official grading certificates.
  • Inspect livestock to determine effectiveness of medication or feeding programs.
  • Set standards for the production of meat or poultry products or for food ingredients, additives, or compounds used to prepare or package products.
  • Direct or monitor the quarantine and treatment or destruction of plants or plant products.
  • Inquire about pesticides or chemicals to which animals may have been exposed.
  • Set labeling standards and approve labels for meat or poultry products.
  • Examine, weigh, and measure commodities, such as poultry, eggs, meat, or seafood to certify qualities, grades, and weights.
  • Compare product recipes with government-approved formulas or recipes to determine acceptability.
  • Review and monitor foreign product inspection systems in countries of origin to ensure equivalence to the U.S. system.
  • Provide consultative services in areas such as equipment or product evaluation, plant construction or layout, or food safety systems.
  • Advise farmers or growers of development programs or new equipment or techniques to aid in quality production.
  • Testify in legal proceedings.

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Necessary Skills

  • Monitoring
  • Quality Control Analysis
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Speaking
  • Critical Thinking
  • Writing
  • Active Listening

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