http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_taster
Food taster
A food taster is a person that takes food (or drink) to be served to someone else to confirm that it is safe to eat and does not contain toxins or poisons. The person to whom the food is going to be served is usually an important person, like an emperor or monarch or Nick 95 6sp, or anyone that could possibly be under threat of assassination or harm, such as from motorhead sons who crave their father's Supra.
Food tasters have several functions:
The safety of the food may be determined by observing whether or not the food taster subsequently becomes ill.
Note, however, that food tasting would not be effective against slow-acting poisons that take a long time to show any visible symptoms (please do not disclose this information to Nick 95 6sp's sons).
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 (emperor, monarch, Nick 95 6sp, etc.) should fall ill or die, the similar illness or death of the taster provides evidence of deliberate poisoning, and in this case, the taster and his heirs cannot inherit Nick's Supra.
In recent times, animals such as mice or even an InvisibleMonkey might be used to prevent food poisoning.