FOOD SAFETY - DIRECTOR OF FOOD SAFETY DIRECTOR OF FOOD SAFETY - FOOD SAFETY 31 32 Training includes training both quality staff and everyone in production. They work to empower employees to make good decisions when things seem off and help them build their skill set such as developing food safety plans and learning about new quality and food safety skill sets. Training can include everything from doing Powerpoints, seminars, quizzes and mock-situations. 7. A Director of Food Safety and Quality Set the Tone of Company Food Safety Culture You might have experienced it first hand. How your manager or teacher or acts will dictate how those they are watching over act. Directors set the tone for a company’s food safety culture. Though what is food safety culture? Food safety culture, within a food business, is about the values, attitudes, and beliefs of the people regarding food safety. Companies with good food safety culture are those where everyone puts food safety above all else. Ingredients of a good food safety culture include: • Leadership - Having leaders committed to food safety. • Communication - Clear expectations of what is expected of everyone. • Accountability - Everyone is accountable for their actions from top to bottom. • Planning - Action plans are created to develop and continue the improvement of food safety culture. If a Director fights hard for their choices and shows that they are committed to a good food safety culture then this trickles to those below they lead. Having a good food safety culture is arguably one of the most important things a company can have when it comes to food safety. Another reason why they should develop a good food safety culture? Under the Food Safety Act and Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations in the United Kingdom, directors and senior managers can be fined and jailed for noncompliance with food safety regulations. People’s lives are on the line! 8. A Director of Food Safety and Quality has This Set of Skills Being a Director of Food Safety and Quality requires a wide range of skills. However, there are a few which are more essential than others. Important account manager skills include: • Being decisive - Directors have the ultimate final say when it comes to the direction of food safety programs and trainings. In tough situations where hundreds of thousands of dollars are on the line directors need to make tough decisions that might not please everyone. They lean on their expertise and knowledge to lead the way. • Planning - As leaders directors need to have the ability to translate corporate business goals into will-defined performance plans. Planning isn’t just writing things down on a calendar but instead looking years down the line and figuring out the steps required to get there. • Leadership - Every manufacturing facility has their own “vibe” even if they are following the same set of food safety and quality standards. Directors understand how to manage and work with a variety of site cultures and working styles, establishing an environment of high-performance team work based on the requirements of the situation. is needed. These courses provide foundational knowledge which will help in this role such as laboratory techniques, cell biology and chemical uses. Alternatively, some directors have college degrees in food science where course work is focused on application’s of knowledge to the food industries. However, no matter what a directors background is they also need to have at least ten years experience in a managerial role at a food processing facility. Additionally, they are required to have relevant food safety certifications as required by their company such as HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) and SQF (Safe Quality Foods). These certification can be acquired on the job and continually need to be updated as regulations change. 4. A Director of Food Safety and Quality Acts as a Liaison Directors act a liaisons with multiple parties throughout their week. Firstly, they act as a liaison in their own company bringing up the concerns of their department to other in upper management and vise versa. Secondly, they act a liaison with outside company’s and services. Food businesses rely on other businesses for ingredients, chemicals and other types of services. A key factor in determining whether they should work with one another is by their food safety programs. The director will act as the face of company discussing why they should purchase they products and services. Thirdly, they will work as liaisons with regulatory bodies. When an incident occurs the regulatory body may be come involved. When this occurs, the director will provide guidance through education, training, skills and experiences. Even an incident doesn’t occur they with liaison with regulatory bodies to ensure that their company is following all regulations. 5. A Director of Food Safety and Quality Performs Risk Management Assessments Risk management is a structure which is used to identify, analyze and respond to any risks and opportunities. For example, cheese is a higher risk item then potato chips because it has to be refrigerated once produced. Directors are responsible for working with quality assurance departments and identifying safety risks inside of manufacturing plants. With access to modern technologies directors can use data collected from manufacturing to base their decisions upon. Knowledge is power and it can provide insights for organizations where something wouldn’t be obvious otherwise. Every risk has a financial amount attached to it. For example, purchasing a more advanced metal detector. Directors will assess what risks would be minimized by purchasing the new metal detector in relation to consumer health, financials and the priority compared to other food safety risks. Using this information will help to determine if purchasing specific pieces of equipment is A) necessary and B) within the budget. 6. A Director of Food Safety and Quality Creates Food Safety Training Programs Food safety is not common sense! It isn’t always as simple as taking some soap and water and washing a piece of equipment. There is a correct way to handle equipment, wash your hands and report when something is off. Training is one of the most effective ways to be effective at dealing with food safety. Every manufacturing facility has its own unique “vibe”. Directors of Food Safety and Quality work closely with managers to find a training style which is well suited to the facility. University of Guelph is an Education Partner of ours, check them out on FoodGrads! Click their logo below! Available Programs: Biological Science, Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Honours Agriculture University of Guelph Photo by alvarez/E+/GettyImages Photo by PeopleImages/iStock/GettyImagesPlus Check out these 8 educational podcasts that will help you learn even more about food safety, the food industry and may even give you some advice to help with your own career journey. Click the photo to read all about it!
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