Food taster

A food taster is a person with the specific task of food and beverages ( by the removal and taking a sample ) to check on their quality and compatibility.

Historically, the taster was the office of an employee, usually a slave at the court. In ancient Rome was a slave who held the office of Chefvorkosters, the name Praegustator. Before each meal, he had to try the ready-prepared food and beverages. If after a certain waiting period, the tasters showed no signs of intoxication, was thus the (relative) given assurance that the food was good and not poisoned and thus the ruler himself could access safely.

In some dynasties and the Vatican there were repeated poison murders. Until the 1950s, therefore, a taster with Pope liturgies in St. Peter had to cost at the offertory wine and water to be sure that they were not poisoned.

To circumvent the protective effect of a Vorkosters even lead was used, since this by accumulating in the body results only after long-term, multiple oral dosing to death. In this case, the poison effect is not noticed immediately, which makes a taster unusable.