The good and bad sides of being a VIP’s food taster
Most people would think tasting delicious food at VIP weddings is a dream job. But officials from Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration don’t agree. As TOI reported on Friday, the officers chosen to taste food before VIPs eat it say they feel like guinea pigs.
They have to taste up to 10 dishes at every meal, three times a day, for as many as 13 days. They even have to open and taste gift boxes filled with sweets, chocolates and other treats. That doesn’t sound too bad. So why are they complaining?
It’s because they are not there to enjoy the food. Their real job is to make sure it isn’t poisoned. If something is wrong with the food, they would be the first to suffer.
Food tasters have existed for thousands of years. In ancient Rome, a man named Halotus tasted food before Emperor Claudius ate it. Ironically, Claudius was still poisoned. During World War II, Margaret Woelk was one of Hitler’s food tasters. She later said that even though the food was excellent, the women cried after every meal because they were so relieved to still be alive.
Long ago, food tasters sometimes received rewards. Sultan Iltutmish even promoted one of his food tasters to an important job. But the dangers were serious too. When Babur discovered a plot to poison him through his food, he gave harsh punishments to the people behind it. In 1857, British officer John Nicholson hanged Indian cooks who had poisoned soup meant for British officers.
Today, being a VIP food taster offers very little reward and plenty of risk. Many Western countries no longer use food tasters for VIPs. Maybe it’s time India stopped using them too.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
