The biggest problem with developing any kind of product for a pet is that when it comes to testing there is no way for the animal to communicate with you to tell you whether the product is good or bad. This is very true when it comes to pet food. Your pet cannot tell you what tastes good and what tastes bad.
This is where the job of a pet food taster comes in. A pet food taster is not just responsible for reporting how the pet food tastes, they have to report back on the texture and smell of the pet food and things such as how easy it is to swallow.
Pet food manufactures are required by law to keep a glass of water on hand for the pet food tasters that they employ.