Job Description & Functions for a QA Manager in a Food Company

According to Goodwin University, quality assurance plays a significant role in ensuring the products you consume are safe and up to the standards set by a company and the government. Quality assurance managers must have cutting-edge analytical skills, the ability to identify problems in products, a keen eye for details and consistent study on quality-related issues. Applicants in a food company must have a bachelor’s degree in food science or a closely-related field. Take a look to learn more about a QA job description in the food industry.

Ensure Product Compliance

Meeting customers’ expectations plays a significant role in keeping a company profitable and is an important aspect of a food quality assurance job description, notes Joe Produce. In addition, failure to comply to set federal quality standards can attract heavy penalties for a foods company. A quality assurance manager inspects food products to ensure they are safe and of a high quality before releasing them to the market.

The manager relies on information from the laboratory to confirm that taste, color and smell of food products are within the acceptable specifications. He also uses a checklist to confirm products are packaged safely, and have expiration dates and instructions about storage and use.

Create Training Programs

People who operate different systems in a food company will give better quality results when they have updated skills. A quality assurance manager implements training and awareness programs to ensure employees are up-to-date with quality systems and requirements. She ensures employees learn the importance of accuracy when mixing ratios, as well as understand the effect of parameters such as temperature on the quality of food.

For example, in a fruits and vegetable packaging company, exposing the food products to high temperatures can denature vitamins. She also trains employees on the importance of hygiene, such as wearing gloves and hair nets and washing mixing drums after every batch to ensure food products are not contaminated.

Develop and Improve Products

Problem-solving skills and customer-based focus leading to a continuous improvement of goods and services are required to perform the duties listed in a quality control job description in the food industry. Quality assurance managers oversee research projects to improve the taste, preservation techniques and packaging solutions. For instance, in a juice company, the manager works with the laboratory technicians to develop natural preservation methods to minimize the use of artificial preservatives.

The managers then provide significant information to the production team about what the final food products should be like. They also oversee the installation of defect tracking mechanisms such as an alarm that sounds if a bread product is not of the expected weight.

Implement and Monitor Quality Assurance System

The food industry bears the responsibility of meeting food quality and safety regulatory requirements. A quality assurance manager implements and monitors procedures, standards and specifications aimed at meeting a company’s food quality goals, states AG Careers. A QA job description in the food industry also includes requirements to study and implement new local, state and federal regulations as outlined by the Food and Drug Administration and ensure a company’s compliance.

He documents a company’s quality standards based on recognized standards such as ISO 9000. If a company is seeking accreditation to a standard or a mark of quality, it is the quality assurance manager’s responsibility to educate and prepare employees for a quality audit process.