Hello From Buffalo, NY!

I just wanted to introduce myself and say hello to all you accomplished SQF Professionals out there! I was thrust into this new role as an SQF Practitioner for my employer (a 30-year-old national Gourmet Chocolatier) and this is our first time going through the SQF process. I hope to learn a lot from those of you who have been in my shoes at one time or another. We'll talk soon I'm sure!

Jeffrey K. Radt

Landies Candies

Welcome to the forum!  Many of us we similiarly set on the path the SQF or GFSI, so you will find folks to commiserate with.

I hope you get as much out of this site as I do!  :welcome:

Nice to meet you! 

Well, that's GREAT to hear b/c there are so many other kinds of "professional forums" I've belonged to in the past for other roles I've had and they never seem to turn out to be any kind of a "valuable resource" let alone "community" either.

However, in the limited interactions I've had here so far I'm getting the sense that this time might be different.

Jeff

l Gourmet Chocolatier)

 

Jeffrey K. Radt

Landies Candies

You are speaking my language buddy!  :welcome:  OMG, those sponge candies look delicious!   I've just spent a considerable amount of time on your website... Do you get to meet Paula Deen if she ever comes back? 

Appreciate all the welcome messages!

Believe it or not, our Sponge Candy is second only to our Gourmet Chocolate Covered Pretzels (see QVC's website too!).

And yes, I will get to meet her when she comes back to Buffalo. 

Jeff

Welcome to the IFSQN Jeff.

:welcome:

:welcome: Jeff...you'll get insight from all over the world!!!

Greetings from a fellow SQF Practitioner and Western New Yorker.

This site has helped me tremendously. I work for a low risk confectioner, we don't deal with any chocolate and I don't know the first thing about it, other than its yummy.

Pretty cool that Paula Deen toured your facility. I met Kathy Hochul when she toured our facility, not sure if that is something I should be proud to tell people or not.

:welcome: to IFSQN Jeffery from a former SQF practitioner (now under FSSC) in Churchville.

Western NY is taking over this joint!  And we do claim 1/2 of Rains so we now have 3 1/2 people from here I think... unless there is more hiding in secret.

:welcome:  to IFSQN! You will find that this is definitely the place to be for Food Safety Advice/ Conversation. 

Buffalo, NY eh? That is where my sister plant is located... not chocolate though (I wish!!) We specialize in aseptic beverage packing. 

:welcome:

I just got done talking with my IPM service provider and it turns out we both use Buffalo Exterminating, now we can gossip about them when ever we want.

^{Welcome!  It's nice to have a fellow Buffalonian (cheesecakes - but we use a lot of chocolate!), You'll find this an invaluable site, lots of help and insights.}

SEE! Like i said we have Ninja Western NYers here!  :ninja:  :ph34r:

:drunk:  :drunk:

Anyone thinking what Im thinking?? Lol

I'm all about it!  :roflmao:

noahchris97 too. 

Just read that on the Mixed Loads thread. Crazy.... you know how they say you can go your whole life and never hear a certain word, and then after the first time you hear it, you are sure to hear it again within 24 hours..... :ninja:  :potplant:  :ph34r:

Good call Rains... TBH I didn't read that thread.  I've been kinda busy so I've been awfully selective of my time on here.

We might need to have a WNY block party sometime  :beer:  :drunk:  :hypocrite:

Hello Fellow Chocolatier!  Welcome, I just went through our SQF level 2 certification in November a could not have done it without all the valuable resources available here.  

Hello Fellow Chocolatier!  Welcome, I just went through our SQF level 2 certification in November a could not have done it without all the valuable resources available here.  

Thanks again everyone! Yeah, I can already tell that this community is MUCH DIFFERENT than others I've been a part of.

Hope you all don't mind if I hit you with a "Friend" request on here.

ErinK, that's great to know that you went through the same thing I'm going through only a few months ago b/c it certainly feels like a "baptism by fire" for me as I try to read and digest as much as possible while comprehending as much as possible so that I can sound at least "somewhat intelligent" when talking to people about SQF.

Current challenge? Picking up where our other SQF Practitioner left off in order to make sure we're "compliant" in all areas following our Desk Audit/Gap Audit! One word: W-O-W!!! So, that being said, I better get back to work for now.

Thanks again!

Jeff

Thanks again everyone! Yeah, I can already tell that this community is MUCH DIFFERENT than others I've been a part of.

.....you have no idea.... :roflmao:  :hypocrite:

It seems I don't...yet!  :secret:

I'm the good one...  :hypocrite: