Hi everyone,
I'm interested in learning about food safety and advancing my career with the help of this forum - hopefully as an alternative to getting a food safety degree. I earned a bachelor of arts degree in an unrelated field that led me to a great fascination with fresh produce. Below is my professional path to gaining knowledge and expertise.
- Writing degree (4 yr)
- Food science journalist (6 yr)
- Horticulture certificate program (1 yr)
- Botanical garden intern (1 yr)
- Aquaponic farm intern (4 mo)
- Indoor hydroponic farmer turned farm production manager (2 yr)
- Seasonal fruit and veg buyer for high-end restaurants and home delivery (2 yr)
- Supply chain manager for a regional US restaurant chain (1 yr)
I'm hoping to leverage my experience and desire to learn to become a food safety specialist in some capacity. Food safety and quality control are the two areas of the fresh produce industry that interest me the most. I like learning about the different factors involved in maintaining safety, quality, freshness, and top-level procurement for every different category of produce. I also find that I thrive on having at least some sensory experience with produce on a weekly basis - getting to see, touch, smell, and/or taste produce, whether it's out in the field, at a market, or in a cold warehouse.
I'm trying to figure out how I can create a good living for myself in the fresh produce industry without being relegated 100% of the time to a desk and without having to secure a higher level degree in agriculture or food sciences. I'm hopeful that I can gain the necessary knowledge and insight through this forum to follow this dream.
What can I do to improve my professional standing in the world of food safety while I work full time as a supply chain manager? I see employers looking for comprehensive knowledge of HACCP, GMPs, and GAPs and experience with SQF, Primus, BRC, and USDA audits. I paid out of pocket for PCQI certification last year. What should I look at now?
Edited by MangoPie, 08 January 2023 - 07:26 PM.