Record production and test data for each food product batch, such as the ingredients used, temperature, test results, and time cycle.
Observe gauges and thermometers to determine if the mixing chamber temperature is within specified limits, and turn valves to control the temperature.
Clean and sterilize vats and factory processing areas.
Press switches and turn knobs to start, adjust, and regulate equipment such as beaters, extruders, discharge pipes, and salt pumps.
Observe and listen to equipment in order to detect possible malfunctions, such as leaks or plugging, and report malfunctions or undesirable tastes to supervisors.
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.
Follow recipes to produce food products of specified flavor, texture, clarity, bouquet, and/or color.
Select and measure or weigh ingredients, using English or metric measures and balance scales.
Turn valve controls to start equipment and to adjust operation in order to maintain product quality.
Determine mixing sequences, based on knowledge of temperature effects and of the solubility of specific ingredients.
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.
Give directions to other workers who are assisting in the batchmaking process.
Homogenize or pasteurize material to prevent separation or to obtain prescribed butterfat content, using a homogenizing device.
Inspect vats after cleaning in order to ensure that fermentable residue has been removed.
Examine, feel, and taste product samples during production in order to evaluate quality, color, texture, flavor, and bouquet, and document the results.
Test food product samples for moisture content, acidity level, specific gravity, and/or butter-fat content, and continue processing until desired levels are reached.
Formulate and/or modify recipes for specific kinds of food products.
Inspect and pack the final product.
Grade food products according to government regulations or according to type, color, bouquet, and moisture content.
Cool food product batches on slabs or in water-cooled kettles.
Operate refining machines in order to reduce the particle size of cooked batches.
Modify cooking and forming operations based on the results of sampling processes, adjusting time cycles and ingredients in order to achieve desired qualities, such as firmness or texture.
Place products on carts or conveyors in order to transfer them to the next stage of processing.
Manipulate products, by hand or using machines, in order to separate, spread, knead, spin, cast, cut, pull, or roll products.
Active Listening -- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Operation Monitoring -- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Mathematics -- Using mathematics to solve problems.
Reading Comprehension -- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Operation and Control -- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Time Management -- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Active Learning -- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Troubleshooting -- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Critical Thinking -- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Coordination -- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Information Ordering -- The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision -- The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Trunk Strength -- The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Control Precision -- The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Manual Dexterity -- The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Problem Sensitivity -- The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Category Flexibility -- The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Oral Expression -- The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Getting Information -- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings -- Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates -- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Handling and Moving Objects -- Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events -- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Controlling Machines and Processes -- Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Performing General Physical Activities -- Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Processing Information -- Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards -- Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information -- Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.