Wanting to get into food safety - HACCP training required?
Hello All,
I have a background in plant biology science but have always wanted to get into the food industry. I've considered getting my Master in Food Science but not sure I have the funds or experience in the field to make that decision quite yet. Talking with one or two people about this, they had suggested I get into QA/QC because I have experience working in a blueberry processing facility as my first job. Every other job, whether be research, in a lab, in the kitchen, or on a farm, has had some form of quality assurance. It is within my nature to assure that things run efficiently and at the highest quality possible to maintain consumer satisfaction. As of now, I got a temporary job as a catering prep cook but also took up pantry shifts in the kitchen about 2 weeks in because they saw my work ethic and quality I put into my job.
My question is this: if I want to get into the field, how necessary is it to have my HACCP certification? I live in Washington State and there are a couple options. 1) Learn2Serve Seafood HACCP is 1 hr training for $75 (but I don't plan on going into seafood) 2) HACCP: A State-of-the-Art- Approach to Food Safety which is a 3 hr training for $50 (seems like the standard), and 3) Food Safety HACCP for Retail Food Establishments which is a 16 hr course for $125.
Please see the links below for descriptions for each class. Which is necessary? Should I take the $125 class which is more thorough of a class? What other requirements would you suggest to get started in this field?
Ideally, I'd like to eventually get into R&D which I realize is a totally different department, but I got to start somewhere.
I appreciate any feedback you may have. I am only getting started on this potential venture.
Dear Arquimby,
If you have the time and when you can afford it, a HACCP course is a good investment. However, it may be worth the effort to shop just a little bit further, to see whether there is a course adapted to the industry you want to work in.
HACCP is the basis for a Food Safety system. It's evenly important for when you start in a QA/QC department as in an R&D department. In the R&D you need to anticipate on Food safety risks and develop food safe products.
The HACCP approach is quite stable in the time, so you will benefit in future of your acquired knowledge. After that, there are always possibilites for follow-up courses and trainings.
Kind regards,
Gerard Heerkens