Food taster - wikipedia Food taster `` Tasters '' redirects here. For the Italian band, see Tasters ( band ). A head chef or food taster sampling dishes in Feast of Bartolomeo Colleoni in honor of Christian I of Denmark, attributed to Romanino ( 1467 ) A food taster is a person that ingests food to be served to someone else, to confirm that it is safe to eat. One who tests drink in this way is known as a cupbearer. The person to whom the food is going to be served is usually an important person, such as a monarch or somebody under threat of assassination or harm. Contents 1 Role 2 Examples of food tasters 3 See also 4 References Role Food tasters have several functions : The safety of the food may be determined by observing whether or not the food taster subsequently becomes ill. However, food tasting would not be effective against slow - acting poisons that take a long time to show any visible symptoms. The food taster may also be responsible for the preparation and serving of food. The hope is that tasters will be diligent in preventing poison from being introduced into food, in order to safeguard their own lives. In the event that the target should fall ill or die, the similar illness or death of the taster provides evidence of deliberate poisoning. Examples of food tasters In ancient Rome, the duty was often given to a slave ( termed the praegustator ). Roman Emperor Claudius was killed by poison in AD 54 even though he hired a food taster named Halotus. Tasters were sometimes coerced. Over history, presidents and royal families have hired food tasters or sacrifices, because of the fear of being poisoned. Queen Durdhara, the Mauryan empress, ate food that was prepared for her husband and died. Adolf Hitler 's food taster Margot Woelk tried the food at 8 : 00 am every day, and if she did not fall ill the food would be sent to Hitler 's military headquarters. President Vladimir Putin has hired a food taster who is part of his security staff to protect himself as well. In recent times, animals such as mice have been used to detect impurities in food to be consumed by humans, such as during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. In the United States, several recent presidents, most prominently Barack Obama, have been known to employ food tasters. Food production companies will employ professional tasters to assess and provide feedback on the quality of their products. Some pet food companies employ human tasters for products which are suitable for human consumption. See also Food poisoning List of poisonings References Jump up ^ Luthern, A. ( 2009, June 26 ). Testing for Poison Still a Profession for Some. Smithsonian.com. Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/testing-for-poison-still-a-profession-for-some-61805292/ ^ Jump up to : Hurst, F. ( 2013, April 2 ). Hitler 's Food Taster : One Bite Away from Death. Spiegel Online International. Retrieved from http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/hitler-food-taster-margot-woelk-speaks-about-her-memories-a-892097.html ^ Jump up to : Walsh, J. ( 2014, July 23 ). Vladimir Putin employs a full - time food taster to ensure his meals are n't poisoned. The Independent. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/vladimir-putin-employs-a-fulltime-food-taster-to-ensure-his-meals-arent-poisoned-9624380.html Jump up ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6153382.stm Jump up ^ http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/taster.asp Jump up ^ https://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/jan/05/from-dog-food-taster-to-eel-ecologist-six-jobs-that-are-surprisingly-enjoyable Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Food_taster&oldid=803640835 '' Categories : Food services occupations Poisons Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Français 한국어 Nederlands 日本 語 Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Edit links This page was last edited on 3 October 2017, at 19 : 08. About Wikipedia

Question: what do you call a person who tastes food
Answer: A food taster