Manufacturing & ProductionISCO 8160
Food production operator
A food production operator is a person who carries out one or more tasks at the various stages of a food production process, from the production operations themselves to packing.
Check yourself in a minute: food production operator
Rate 5 of the 23 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
ensure sanitation
monitor ingredient storage
ensure refrigeration of food in the supply chain
disassemble equipment
keep inventory of goods in production
About food production operator
The operator adds ingredients during food production in the quantities and at the points the recipe specifies, operates machines by hand or in automatic mode, and monitors the situation on the production line, which means checking that the machines and the flow of product are working properly. The operator applies established procedures, carries out production operations on food and drinks, and packs the finished products.
The operator takes food safety regulations into account and ensures proper sanitary conditions, which covers hand hygiene, clothing, the state of the equipment and the separation of raw and finished product, and applies food authentication techniques to check that ingredients and products are what they claim to be.
The operator also supports raw material management, taking in, checking and moving what the line will consume, and lifts heavy items. The operator follows the production schedule and has to be comfortable working in an unsafe environment, among moving machinery, hot surfaces and steam. The job calls for physical fitness and a working knowledge of food hygiene; formal requirements, such as health certificates for food handlers, are set by the employer and national rules.
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (23)
food waste monitoring systemsfood waste monitoring systemsThe characteristics, benefits and ways of using digital tools to collect, monitor and evaluate data on food waste in an organisation or hospitality establishment.food safety principlesfood safety principlesScientific background of food safety which includes preparation, handling, and storage of food to minimise the risk of foodborne illness and other health hazards.food ethicsfood ethicsSet of ethical values and principles that guide the production, distribution, and consumption of food. It embraces a broad range of matters, including food safety, environmental sustainability, cultur...food authentication techniquesfood authentication techniquesMethodologies, analytical techniques and indicators applied to verify food authenticity and detect frauds.food fraudfood fraudInvestigation techniques to detect the act of deliberately adulterating information related to the nature, identity, properties, composition, quantity, durability, country of origin or place of proven...ensure sanitationensure sanitationKeep workspaces and equipment free from dirt, infection, and disease by removing waste, trash and providing for appropriate cleaning.monitor ingredient storagemonitor ingredient storageMonitor ingredient storage and expiry dates via weekly reporting leading to good stock rotation and reduction of waste.ensure refrigeration of food in the supply chainensure refrigeration of food in the supply chainApply different procedures to maintain the chain of temperature of foodstuffs and products in each stage of the production and supply chain.disassemble equipmentdisassemble equipmentDisassembles equipment using hand tools in order to clean equipments and to perform regular operational maintenance.keep inventory of goods in productionkeep inventory of goods in productionKeep inventory of goods whether they are goods in the front end (i.e. raw materials), intermediate, or back end (i.e. finished products). Count goods and store them for the following production and di...clean food and beverage machineryclean food and beverage machineryClean machinery used for food or beverage production processes. Prepare the appropriate solutions for cleaning. Prepare all parts and assure that they are clean enough to avoid deviation or errors in ...apply HACCPapply HACCPApply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).promote ethical eatingpromote ethical eatingCampaign for and promote ethical considerations in food choices and nutritional behaviours of consumers, related among others to the protection of the environment, food shortages and scarcity of resou...administer ingredients in food productionadminister ingredients in food productionIngredients to be added and the required amounts according to the recipe and the way those ingredients are to be administered.be at ease in unsafe environmentsbe at ease in unsafe environmentsBe at ease in unsafe environments like being exposed to dust, rotating equipment, hot surfaces, sub-freezing and cold storage areas, noise, wet floors and moving lift equipment.support management of raw materialssupport management of raw materialsSupport management of raw materials and plants required by the department for production. Oversee the needs for material and notify when stock levels reach re-order levels.monitor the production linemonitor the production lineMonitor the production line for problems such as pile-ups and jams.listen activelylisten activelyGive attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of cus...lift heavy weightslift heavy weightsLift heavy weights and apply ergonomic lifting techniques to avoid damaging the body.apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beveragesapply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beveragesApply and follow national, international, and internal requirements quoted in standards, regulations and other specifications related with manufacturing of food and beverages.apply GMPapply GMPApply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).carry out checks of production plant equipmentcarry out checks of production plant equipmentCarry out checks of the machinery and equipment used in the production plant. Ensure that the machinery is working properly, set machines before usage, and assure continuous operability of the equipme...follow production schedulefollow production scheduleFollow production schedule taking into account all requirements, times and needs. This schedule outlines what individual commodities must be produced in each time period and encapsulates various conce...
Optional (53) — show
circular economycircular economyThe circular economy aims to keep materials and products in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them while in use and recycling them at the end of their life cycle. It impro...food canning production linefood canning production lineSteps in the canning process line from washing, conditioning and weighing food products, washing and preparing cans, filling cans, as well as other operations in order to obtain the end product.health, safety and hygiene legislationhealth, safety and hygiene legislationThe set of health, safety and hygiene standards and items of legislation applicable in a specific sector.milk production processmilk production processThe different phases of milk production in production plants such as pasteurising, separating, evaporating, drying, cooling, storing and so on.condiment manufacturing processescondiment manufacturing processesThe manufacturing processes and technologies for producing condiments, spices, and seasonings. The techniques to produce products such as mayonnaise, vinegars, and cooking herbs.project managementproject managementThe discipline of project management, the activities which comprise this area and the variables implied in it, such as time, resources, requirements, deadlines, and responding to unexpected events.fermentation processes of foodfermentation processes of foodConversion of carbohydrates into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process happens using bacteria or yeasts, or a combination of the two under anaerobic conditions. Food fermentation is also involved i...centrifugal forcecentrifugal forceApparent force that draws a rotating body away from the centre of rotation. Application to machines that use centrifugal forces.energy efficiencyenergy efficiencyField of information concerning the reduction of the use of energy. It encompasses calculating the consumption of energy, providing certificates and support measures, saving energy by reducing the dem...hydrogenation processes for edible oilshydrogenation processes for edible oilsHydrogenation processes of different oils which reduce saturation and affect physical properties such as melting point and taste.food storagefood storageThe proper conditions and methods to store food to keep it from spoiling, taking into account humidity, light, temperature and other environmental factors.cleaning of reusable packagingcleaning of reusable packagingMethods of cleaning and disinfecting reusable packaging to prevent or remove deposits of organic or inorganic nature of the packaging.modern brewing systemsmodern brewing systemsThe most updated systems and best available techniques in the brewing industry.food homogenisationfood homogenisationThe procedures, machines and reciped used to mix different foodstuffs and solutions by transforming them through high pressure and acceleration processes into an uniform fluid or product.tend packaging machinestend packaging machinesTend packaging machines such as filling, labelling, and sealing machines. Stock and sort products to be processed according to specifications. Replenish packaging supplies as required, such as boxes, ...measure sugar refinementmeasure sugar refinementMonitoring the refinement of sugars by measuring the pH level.operate automated process controloperate automated process controlOperate process control or automation system (PAS) used to control a production process automatically.tend bottle-washing machinetend bottle-washing machineTend bottle-washing machine ensuring that flow of bottles is fluent, machine input is sufficient, and maintenance is according to requirements.set up equipment for food productionset up equipment for food productionSet up machinery and equipment for food production. Make sure that controls, settings, and input requirements are according to the required standards.operate forkliftoperate forkliftOperate a forklift, a vehicle with a pronged device in front for lifting and carrying heavy loads.conduct cleaning in placeconduct cleaning in placeConduct cleaning-in-place and sterilisation on all process equipment, tanks, and lines. These systems support automatic cleaning and disinfecting without the need for major disassembly and assembly.handle kitchen equipmenthandle kitchen equipmentUse a variety of kitchen instruments and equipment such as knives, paring tools or food cutting tools. Chose the right tool for the purpose and the raw material.apply extruding techniquesapply extruding techniquesApply specific techniques for extrusion process in the food industry.weigh materialsweigh materialsWeigh materials and products, record weight and other relevant data on tags or labels.perform cleaning dutiesperform cleaning dutiesPerform cleaning duties such as waste removal, vacuuming, emptying bins, and general cleaning of the working area. Cleaning activities should follow health and safety regulations if required.check quality of products on the production linecheck quality of products on the production lineCheck products for quality on the production line and remove defective items before and after packaging.monitor milled food productsmonitor milled food productsMonitor milled food products to make sure they comply with production requirements and quality standards.check bottles for packagingcheck bottles for packagingCheck bottles for packaging. Apply bottle testing procedures to verify if the bottle is fit for containing food and beverage products. Follow legal or company specifications for bottling.analyse samples of food and beveragesanalyse samples of food and beveragesExamine if food or beverages are safe for human consumption. Verify the right levels of key ingredients and the correctness of the label declarations and the levels of nutrients present. Ensure sample...follow evaluation procedures of materials at receptionfollow evaluation procedures of materials at receptionOversee the delivery of incoming materials and follow a detailed procedure to evaluate and assess their characteristics accordingly.ensure correct goods labellingensure correct goods labellingEnsure that goods are labeled with all necessary labeling information (e.g. legal, technological, hazardous and others) regarding the product. Ensure that labels respects the legal requirements and ad...monitor coating specificationsmonitor coating specificationsMonitoring that specifications such as colour, shape, glaze, texture, weight, depth of coating are met.apply preservation treatmentsapply preservation treatmentsApply common treatments to preserve the characteristics of food products taking care of their appearance, smell and taste.perform carbonation processesperform carbonation processesPerform carbonation processes which refer to the infusion of carbon dioxide under high pressure in order to obtain effervescent beverages such as sodas, sparkling wines, and beverages.monitor almond blanching processmonitor almond blanching processMonitoring almonds as they emerge from the blanching machine and making adjustments to the machine to make sure that skins are adequately removed.work according to recipework according to recipePerform tasks in food preparation according to recipe or specification in order to preserve the quality of ingredients and to ensure replication accuracy of the recipe. Select the appropriate material...follow hygienic procedures during food processingfollow hygienic procedures during food processingEnsure a clean working space according to hygienic standards in the food processing industry.check quality of raw materialscheck quality of raw materialsCheck the quality of basic materials used for the production of semi-finished and finished goods by assessing some of its characteristics and, if needed, select samples to be analysed.mould chocolatemould chocolateMould chocolate to make chocolate pieces that are of a certain shape. Pour liquid chocolate into a mould and let it harden.dispose non-food waste within the food industrydispose non-food waste within the food industryDispose non-food waste within the food industry applying environmentally accepted procedures to dispose it.monitor sugar uniformitymonitor sugar uniformityMonitor that the sugar and centrifuged products are uniform and comply with quality standards.adjust drying process to goodsadjust drying process to goodsAdjust machine settings to adapt drying processes, drying times, and special treatments to the requirements of the goods to be dried.mitigate waste of resourcesmitigate waste of resourcesEvaluate and identify opportunities to use resources more efficiently with continuously striving to reduce waste of utilities.monitor filling machinesmonitor filling machinesMonitoring filling, weighting, and packing machines.rectify spiritsrectify spiritsRectify spirits by repeatedly or fractionally distilling it to remove water and undesirable compounds.use resource-efficient technologies in hospitalityuse resource-efficient technologies in hospitalityImplement technological improvements in hospitality establishments, as connectionless food steamers, pre-rinse spray valves and low flow sink taps, which optimise the water and energy consumption in d...dispose food wastedispose food wasteDispose or collect food waste with the purpose of recycling or throwing away from the production process. Follow established procedures for their disposal taking care of the environment and the safety...monitor oil blending processmonitor oil blending processMonitor the blending process of oil. Make adjustments to blending process according to results of tests.apply different dehydration processes of fruits and vegetablesapply different dehydration processes of fruits and vegetablesDifferentiate and apply different dehydration processes of fruits and vegetables according to product characteristics. The processes include drying, concentration, etc.examine production samplesexamine production samplesExamine production samples visually or manually to verify properties such as clarity, cleanliness, consistency, humidity and texture.ensure compliance with environmental legislation in food productionensure compliance with environmental legislation in food productionMake sure to comply with environmental legislation in food production. Understand the legislation related to environmental matters in food manufacturing and apply it in practice.label sampleslabel samplesLabel raw material/product samples for laboratory checks, according to implemented quality system.administer materials to tea bag machinesadminister materials to tea bag machinesAdminister materials needed for the production of tea bags such as tea feedings, bags, strings, tags, and chemical-free glues.
Related Occupations
Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a food production operator do?
Food production operators supply and perform one or more tasks in different stages of the food production process. They perform manufacturing operations and processes to foods and beverages, perform packaging, operate machines manually or automatically, follow predetermined procedures, and take food safety regulations on board.
What skills does a food production operator need?
A food production operator needs 23 essential skills, including food waste monitoring systems, food safety principles, food ethics, food authentication techniques, food fraud.
Will AI replace food production operator jobs?
The AI disruption score for food production operator is 54/100 (moderate risk). Skills most exposed to automation: food canning production line, check bottles for packaging, keep inventory of goods in production. Most resilient: be at ease in unsafe environments, listen actively, lift heavy weights.
AI Replacement Risk
54/ 100
Moderate Risk
Low riskHigh risk
Quick Facts
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