Food Safety Specialist

Nestlé; Mossel Bay; On-site; ZAR 300 000 - 450 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the food and beverages sector is seeking a Food Safety Specialist in Mossel Bay. This role focuses on driving food safety initiatives, ensuring compliance with standards, and fostering a culture of food safety within the factory. The successful candidate will collaborate with various teams, conduct audits, and develop training programs to enhance food safety awareness. A degree in a relevant field and at least 2 years of experience in Quality and/or Production are required.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years in Quality and/or Production.
• FSMS audit experience; lead auditor qualification is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Drive food safety activities and implement food safety requirements.
• Conduct hygiene inspections and assess compliance with FSSC 22000 standards.
• Train staff and promote continuous improvement in Food Safety Assurance.

Skills

Food Safety

HACCP

GMP

Education

Degree in Food Technology

Degree in Biochemistry

Degree in Microbiology

Degree in Industrial Chemistry

Tools

SAP

Job description

Location: Mossel Bay

Company: Nestlé

Qualification: Degree in Food Technology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Industrial Chemistry

Experience: Minimum 2 years in Quality and/or Production

Closing date: 22 May 2025

Position Summary

With a history spanning over 150 years, Nestlé has established itself as the world’s leading food and beverages brand through a commitment to perfection and innovation. We are seeking a Food Safety Specialist based in the Mossel Bay Factory.

This role involves driving food safety activities, assisting in the implementation of food safety requirements, conducting assessments for effectiveness, and developing improvement plans. The role also includes training staff and promoting continuous improvement in Food Safety Assurance.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Production, Engineering, and QA teams to implement and maintain GMP and Food Safety standards.
• Develop and deliver training to enhance food safety awareness on the shop floor.
• Coordinate with pest control services and ensure compliance and continuous improvement.
• Oversee plant maintenance activities, establishing protocols for line release post-maintenance.
• Conduct hygiene inspections and assess compliance with FSSC 22000 standards.
• Apply HACCP principles on production lines, including verification of foreign body control devices.
• Lead HACCP assessment, implementation, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Promote a food safety culture within the factory.
• Manage cleaning and pest control service providers.
• Lead the food safety team and initiatives to prevent foreign body contamination.
• Manage food defense and food fraud mitigation strategies (VACCP and TACCP).
• Assist with cleaning inspections and ensure proper tools and routines are in place.
• Utilize SAP for allergen management and critical control point activities.
• Oversee allergen management protocols to prevent cross-contamination.
• Support dry cleaning processes and troubleshoot production line zoning.
• Ensure compliance with FSSC 22000 certification requirements.

Technical Assistance

• Support suppliers via SQA audits to enhance food safety systems.
• Advise management on food safety issues.
• Ensure hygiene permits and risk assessments are in place for maintenance activities.
• Conduct food safety audits of the canteen.
• Assist with root cause analysis for food safety complaints and deviations.
• Address gaps identified during verification activities.
• Increase awareness of key food safety focus areas.
• Evaluate the impact of raw materials on food safety in collaboration with the Food Technologist and Competency Centre.

People Development

• Train operators and team leaders on food safety practices.
• Educate maintenance and engineering teams on hygienic design elements.
• Foster a food safety culture through coaching and awareness programs.

What Will Make You Successful?

• Degree in Food Technology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, or Industrial Chemistry.
• At least 2 years of experience in Quality and/or Production.
• FSMS audit experience; lead auditor qualification is advantageous.
• Proven experience in implementing HACCP.
• Knowledge of FS standards such as FSSC 22000 and prerequisite programs.
• Understanding of SAP systems.