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Miss Frankie

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Posted 22 November 2022 - 12:51 AM

I worked in a seafood manufacturing plant for almost 37 years.  Last year I changed jobs and at my current job we manufacture (imitation) surimi based Alaskan Snow Leg.

It's okay, the pay is good, MOST of the people are pretty good.  The drive is LONG, and I'm not thrilled with the hours.
I just applied for a new job at a plant about 20 minutes closer to home.  They manufacture organic chicken feed. I got a partial message (sounds like he was interrupted while leaving me a voice mail) for the new place and he wants to talk.

 

IF I get offered the new job and IF I take it, any idea how different it would be? 

 

Going to check out the other FSC tomorrow to see how different they are.

.



Tony-C

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Posted 22 November 2022 - 04:36 AM

Hi Miss Frankie,

 

I’m sure if they are SQF certified then the requirements will be familiar to you.

 

The FSC is 34: Animal Feed Manufacturing

 

The relevant SQF Food Safety Code: Animal Feed Manufacturing, Edition 9 PART B:

 

System Elements

2.1 Management Commitment

2.2 Document Control and Records

2.3 Specifications, Formulations, Realization, and Supplier Approval

2.4 Food Safety System

2.5 SQF System Verification

2.6 Product Traceability and Crisis Management

2.7 Food Defense and Food Fraud

2.8 Allergen Management

2.9 Training

 

Module 3: Good Manufacturing Practices for Processing of Animal Feed

3.1 Site Location and Premises

3.2 Site Operation

3.3 Personnel Hygiene and Welfare

3.4 Personnel Processing Practices

3.5 Water and Air Supply

3.6 Receipt, Storage, and Transport

3.7 Separation of Functions

3.8 Waste Disposal

 

Looking through the main differences to you will be the requirement in 2.4.3 Food Safety Plan (Mandatory) for a hazard and risk management system but doesn’t reference “in accordance with the twelve steps identified in the Codex Alimentarius Commission HACCP guidelines” although the requirements are along the same lines,

 

2.4.1 Feed and Food Legislation (Mandatory)  - You will need to get up to speed with feed legislation applicable in the country of manufacture and sale

 

2.8 Allergen Management - Sites that exclusively manufacture animal feed and do not manufacture, handle, or store food or pet food products are not required to implement an allergen management plan unless required by regulation or customer requirement.

 

3.4.2 Animal Feed Medication - You will need to get up to speed with animal medications and applicable controls

 

Good luck with your application. 

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

 



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Marloes

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Posted 22 November 2022 - 08:19 AM

Hi Miss Frankie,

 

I believe that every difference within their management system you can learn. There are some differences in which food and feed risks are managed. E.g. some contaminants accumulate in livestock, causing stricter levels for feed (so that the food remains safe). But If you feel it is that much different send yourself to a course. I trust with your experience you can get up to speed easily.

 

I would be more on the lookout for their company culture. How are they looking at food safety? Some companies believe that because they do animal feed it is fine to produce/sell sch*t, while others have a passion for providing the best possible. Especially (some) petfood producers are known to make better food than you and I eat.
How are they treating people, customers and how is their outlook on animal welfare. Most importantly these views should be in line with yours.



Scampi

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Posted 22 November 2022 - 01:20 PM

I think you'll find the transition fairly simple

 

The product may be more complex than you're used to (e.g. some feed mills can mix 1 tablespoon of an additive into tons of finished good evenly (my mom worked at a feed mill my whole life)) but the general food safety process will remain the same

 

There will be a couple of differences (pesticides in particular on crops) and they will have extraordinarily busy times of the year (based on harvest)

 

Agree with Marloes about culture and the business as a whole, you should go into this interviewing them not the other way around!

 

Depending on what kind of feed they are making, the rules will be a bit different livestock v.s. pet food


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jfrey123

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Posted 22 November 2022 - 08:34 PM

Wishing you luck on the new opportunity!

 

I started in dehydrated vegetables/spices and third party dry steam sterilization.  I move from there to consulting with a partner in cooked pasta and another spice plant.  Now I've landed in a corporate QA role for a company that does RTE fresh cut fruit and vegetables.  Most of the practices are universal from one plant to another, common sense and a knowledge of food safety principals is enough to get you started on day one.  Becoming familiar with the nuances of the different ingredients won't take you long, and I'm sure you'll bring a fresh perspective to help identify gaps where the new company may be overly complacent.  



Miss Frankie

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Posted 22 November 2022 - 10:25 PM

Thanks everyone!
I had a short phone interview today and it sounds promising.  They've been in business about 12 years and are just starting SQF. 
They had a successful FDA audit a couple months ago with no findings.

They have plans to expand in the next few years. 

I have an in-person interview next month.



Charles.C

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Posted 23 November 2022 - 03:14 PM

Seafood vs Organic Chicken = no significant differences. :yeahrite:


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


Brothbro

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Posted 23 November 2022 - 05:07 PM

No observations on the last inspection? That's impressive, usually the inspectors find -something-! Given the lack of observations, I would try to gauge if their management is getting overconfident when it comes to food safety/quality. Do they have a continuous improvement mindset when it comes to quality? Have they set any quality goals/objectives for the company?

 

Starting up SQF is certainly a lot of work though! If you already have SQF experience then I'm sure you'll set yourself up to be very valuable from the start. 



Kara S.

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Posted 23 November 2022 - 05:27 PM

Thanks everyone!
I had a short phone interview today and it sounds promising.  They've been in business about 12 years and are just starting SQF. 
They had a successful FDA audit a couple months ago with no findings.

They have plans to expand in the next few years. 

I have an in-person interview next month.

 

 

Excited for you Miss Frankie! You are already very knowledgeable in food safety that I am sure you will quickly adjust! Best wishes!


Kind regards, 

 

Kara

Food & Beverage Industry Consultant

IFSQN Business ListingLinkedIn  |  Webpage

 

 


Miss Frankie

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Posted 23 November 2022 - 06:59 PM

No observations on the last inspection? That's impressive, usually the inspectors find -something-! Given the lack of observations, I would try to gauge if their management is getting overconfident when it comes to food safety/quality. Do they have a continuous improvement mindset when it comes to quality? Have they set any quality goals/objectives for the company?

 

Starting up SQF is certainly a lot of work though! If you already have SQF experience then I'm sure you'll set yourself up to be very valuable from the start. 

 

During the phone interview, they said they feel they reached the point where they need a dedicated QA person.  
They do have SOPs and GMPs in place. 

 

Sounds like they are at a point where they are about to really grow and are starting some long-term goals. 

I'll know more after the in-person interview and tour.



kingstudruler1

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Posted 23 November 2022 - 08:10 PM

I worked in human food for a couple of decades (several different segments).   A few years ago a took a job that involved overseeing multiple manufacturing sites that included facilities that produced ingredients for pet food (from human food byproducts).   These were recently purchased facilities that absolutely no quality or food safety program.    

 

Here are a couple of my pros and cons / thoughts for you to consider (human vs animal).   

 

PROS

I find it much less stressful.  There are risks, but they are not the same.   

There are large portions of FDA law that don't apply (may apply for GFSI schemes) IA, allergens, etc.  

I have found that the regulatory and GFSI audits are more forgiving.   

 

CONS

Compared to most human food facilities (like seafood) they are not usually as nice, clean, etc. 

Most of my facilities are now GFSI certified (BRC).   However, I still encounter the "Its only dog food" attitudes.   like others said it depends on the company.   the fact that they are considering SQF is good.

 

Because the risks are different you may need to understand / accept that programs that you had in place for the last 37 years may not apply.   For instance, they are probably not going to clean to the level that you are use to.   They probably don't even wear hair nets.  etc


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