Job area
Industrial
Category
Baking
Location
Johannesburg, South Africa
Contract type
Permanent Contract
Experience
5 to 10 years

Job description

The Food Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring the Aries Baking Supplies and Bakelab operations’ compliance with food safety regulations, implementing and maintaining a robust food safety management system, and overseeing the implementation of best practices to ensure the production of safe and high-quality food products that met customer requirements.

This role requires a strong understanding of food safety principles, including GMP, SOP, HACCP, VACCP, TACCP, and the ability to effectively implement the FSSC 22000 standard.

Food Safety Management System:

  • Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive FSSC 22000 food safety management system to ensure compliance with relevant food safety regulations and industry standards within the organisation.
  • Establish and monitor GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) to maintain consistent food safety practices.
  • Conduct HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) studies to identify and control food safety hazards.
  • Implement VACCP (Vulnerability Assessment and Critical Control Points) and TACCP (Threat Assessment and Critical Control Points) to address food fraud and intentional contamination risks.
  • Regularly review and update the food safety management system to ensure its effectiveness and alignment with evolving regulations and industry best practices.

Auditing and Inspections:

  • Conduct internal audits and inspections to assess the effectiveness of the FSSC 22000 food safety management system and identify areas for improvement within the organisation.
  • Coordinate and facilitate external audits and inspections by regulatory authorities and certification bodies.
  • Analyze audit findings, develop corrective action plans, and ensure timely implementation of necessary improvements within the organisation.

Training and Awareness:

  • Develop and deliver comprehensive food safety training programs, covering GMP, SOP, HACCP, VACCP, and TACCP, for all relevant personnel in the organisation, including production, quality, and maintenance teams.
  • Promote a strong food safety culture by fostering employee engagement and awareness through various communication channels within the organisation.
  • Ensure that all employees in the organisation are trained in food safety practices, hygiene requirements, and emergency response procedures.

Regulatory Compliance:

  • Stay up to date with the latest food safety regulations, guidelines, and industry best practices applicable to the organisation.
  • Interpret and apply relevant food safety laws and regulations, including FSSC 22000 requirements.
  • Liaise with regulatory authorities and industry associations to ensure the organisation is compliant and address any compliance-related issues.

Continuous Improvement:

  • Analyze food safety data, including customer complaints, non-conformities, and corrective actions, to identify trends and opportunities for improvements.
  • Implement and monitor the effectiveness of corrective and preventive actions to enhance the overall food safety performance.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and implement innovative solutions to improve food safety processes and procedures within the organisation.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control:

  • Oversee the implementation of quality assurance and quality control measures to ensure the production of safe and high-quality food products.
  • Develop and maintain quality control procedures, including product testing and inspection protocols.
  • Analyze quality data and implement corrective actions to address any quality-related issues.
  • Guarantee the availability of the results of controls, measurements, and tests defined in the control plan or deemed necessary for the processes and production control.
  • Involve in the choice of raw materials suppliers (carrying out tests, etc.) and alert any problems with suppliers.
  • Ensure that non-conformities (finished products, raw materials) are dealt with, analyze discrepancies, find the causes, and implement corrective actions.
  • Investigate customer complaints and non-conformity issues (find the causes, implement corrective actions).
  • Issue products quality testing reports according to the relevant procedures.
  • Define raw materials, in-process, and finished products control plans.
  • Support in answering customers’ questionnaires and other requests on product quality and food safety.

Qualifications

Main job skills:

  • Relevant Qualification Food Science, Food Technology, or a related field
  • Minimum 5 years of experience as a Food Safety Officer or in a similar role
  • FSSC 22000 certification (implementation)
  • Thorough understanding and practical experience in implementing GMP, SOP, HACCP, VACCP, and TACCP

Soft skills:

  • Project management
  • SAP
  • IT tools: Word, Excel, PPT

Behavioral skills:

  • Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making skills
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams
  • Proficient in data analysis and report writing
  • Ability to work independently and be team spirit
  • High level of integrity
  • Guarantees consistent and reliable information
  • Strict sense of confidentiality
  • Able to step back, put perspective in the analysis, implement structure
  • Able to advise, propose alternatives/solutions, innovative
  • Strong desire to be hands on, and to deliver

Company description

Founded in 1853, Lesaffre is an independent, family-owned group based in France and a leading global provider of baker’s yeast and yeast extract products. It employs over 11,000 people on five continents and markets bakery, taste improvement, health and nutrition, fermentation and brewery products and services.

Aries Baking Supplies and Bakelab are entities acquired by Lesaffre mid-2021.

Reporting to the Innovation & Quality Manager, you will be responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining a comprehensive food safety management system to ensure Aries Baking Supplies and Bakelab’s compliance with regulations, industry standards, and best practices, thereby safeguarding the production of safe and high-quality products