All new food products must be tested for a whole range of qualities before they can be released to market. Testing the formulations, design, nutritional value and processing methods of new food products is highly technical work requiring great care and responsibility.

As part of a field testing or sample preparations team, you might test to see if processed vegetables lose nutrients or whether a new health food really does contain antioxidants. You could also test if a new cheesy snack product will last on the shelf and not turn brown or disintegrate.

You will also need to test for correct proportions and chemical makeup of ingredients and make sure they do not have unexpected results when combined. The results of your tests will determine whether or not a new food product is ready to go into production.