Description
Apply microbiology, chemistry, and risk assessment to prevent, detect, and control foodborne hazards; evaluate ingredients, processes, and environments for contamination risks; develop and validate preventive controls and sanitation programs; ensure compliance with FDA/USDA and industry standards; and oversee monitoring, traceability, and incident response across processing, packaging, storage, and distribution.
- • Conduct hazard analyses and test products, water, and environments for microbial, chemical, and physical hazards.
- • Screen raw materials and finished goods for pathogens, allergens, toxins, and foreign matter.
- • Evaluate processing, storage, and distribution operations and build risk-based food safety programs.
- • Develop and validate preventive controls, CCPs, and sanitation procedures (e.g., thermal processes, antimicrobial interventions).
- • Write and maintain HACCP plans, FSMA Preventive Controls, SSOPs, allergen control, and supplier verification programs.
- • Design sampling plans; analyze lab data (e.g., PCR, ELISA) and environmental monitoring trends to inform actions.
- • Audit facilities and sanitation programs to verify GMPs, pest control, and regulatory compliance.
- • Lead root cause analysis, corrective and preventive actions, and verification for deviations and contamination events.
- • Manage traceability, recall readiness, and incident response with cross-functional teams and regulators.
- • Collaborate with R&D, engineering, QA, and suppliers to design safety into products, processes, and packaging.
- • Research and implement methods to reduce contamination and improve kill steps, hygienic design, and shelf-life safety.
- • Train employees and suppliers on hygiene, GMPs, allergen control, and food safety systems.
- • Monitor evolving regulations and standards (FDA, USDA, GFSI) and emerging hazards, updating programs accordingly.
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Agriculture
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
