In addition to conducting consumer research, SAM The National Food Lab conducts evaluations of products using trained taste testers. Instead of indicating their likes and dislikes for products, these trained tasters describe the specific flavors and textures of products and how they are similar or different from one another. This information is used by major food manufacturers in developing new and improved products. The trained tasters who currently participate in our program comment that learning how to become a trained tester is fun and have given them a chance to develop new friendships with their fellow tasters.
If you are selected to participate in the trained sensory program, you will be trained to evaluate a wide variety of products. During training, SAM The NFL panel leaders will teach you how to describe different flavor and texture characteristics of food products and rate them in terms of intensity. Training will generally take place on three mornings a week between the hours of 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. Training will be start in June 2025 and will run for ~3 months. Since a great deal of time and effort will go into your training, we need a long-term commitment from you once you have completed the trainings.
After training is completed, you will participate in trained panels. Panels are typically two hours in duration and are conducted on weekdays between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Depending on the number of projects we are working on, there will be some weeks with no taste tests and other weeks with up to 20 hours of taste tests. Since the frequency of the taste panels is variable, you should not consider this program if you are looking for a regular full-time job, as this position is viewed as an on-call part-time job. However, we do ask that you are available for at least a 2-hour period between the hours of 10:00 am and 3:00 pm daily.
During training and panel participation you will be paid $15.00 per hour; once training is complete, you will be paid $16.00 per hour.
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