When you were a kid, adults always asked you, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" And you probably thought you had to become something boring, like a doctor or a teacher or a construction worker:
But what if I told you there was another option this whole time — a career path you were never told about, and therefore never considered? What if I told you you could eat dog food for a living?
That's right. What if I told you you could be a professional dog food taste-tester?
Welp, today I learned that's a real-life job that real-life humans do every day!
Yup. Apparently, most dog and cat foods actually get taste-tested by humans before they go on the market.
Now listen. To you and me, this might seem like a slightly ~gross~ gig. But honestly? The job makes sense! Someone has to make sure your pup's food tastes okay. I just never really thought about it before, I guess?!?!
In a 2015 interview with The Guardian, a dog food tester named Philip Wells explained what he's actually looking for when he's tasting samples:
Although dogs’ palates are different to ours, taste is an important quality check to ensure each different ingredient is perfectly balanced in just the right way... Trying the food is also a good way to pick up on the nuances of the cooking; this works especially well on the dry kibbles.
Okay, so let's talk $$$. According to Inside Jobs, the US Department of Labor salary range for a pet food taste-tester is anywhere from $34,000, all the way up to $117,000.
