Siyanda Mtya

• Maintain and improve technical standards of the local supplier base to have consistency of product delivered.
• Ensure safe, compliant product is on shelf for consumers. Conduct micro routine testing by sampling from the distribution centre and send to the lab. This is done based on the product risk and allocated budget for testing the inhouse branded products.
• Monitor and support suppliers to produce a safe product, satisfying customer expectations and adhere to food safety standards, PnP specifications and labelling compliance.
• Collaborate with Product Developers in key categories to expand product and packaging sustainability and optimisation to save costs and guarding the environment.
• Maintenance of food safety and quality compliance according to PnP specifications to protect the company brand and keep serving a safe and satisfactory product to the customer.
• Liaise with suppliers regarding product information and specifications required to supply PnP or to avoid rejections and conduct supplier visits.
• Conduct product assessments and audits on all suppliers within the region and benchmark with other retailers.
• Ability to assess risk, advise and manage food safety across the supply chain for both high and low risk product.
• Schedule and conduct supplier visits to assess compliance and coordinate the reports and issue for corrective actions to be taken for findings.
• Conduct approval site visits of potential suppliers for regulatory compliance and company requirements obligations.
• Conducting product benchmarking to continuously self-evaluate for subsequent improvement and position in the market.
• Involved in cost saving projects where waste causing variables are identified and isolated.
• Analysing rejections from the distribution centres in order to be aligned with trends and preparedness.

Achievements

• Diamond award for product quality improvement thus improving customer quality perception.

• Scoring yearly audits by development and maintenance of HACCP Systems for fresh and frozen fish, ice making (from the internal ice manufacturing plant) and deep-sea fish vessels.
• Ensure improvement by preparing quality documentation and reports, collecting, analysing and summarizing information and trends including failed processes, stability studies, recalls, corrective actions, and re-validations.
• Successfully implementing, updating and reviewing the FSMS system to ensure that it remains current with statutory requirements. Incorporate the principles of continuous improvement and compliance with NRCS, DAFF and EU requirements.
• Achieve process validations and verifications that meets the customer, food safety and regulatory requirements.
• Gathering data to ensure monthly trend analysis for Customer Complaints, Non-conformances, Corrective Actions, Internal / external Audit findings, micro-monitoring, process control data, supplier monitoring etc. to report on the overall performance of the FSMS
• Conduct management reviews in order to promote improvement and create annual forecast for the food safety requirements.
• Submission of reports based on HSE and Quality performance for the Board of Directors.
• Conduct traceability and mock recall exercises in preparation for recall incidents should there be.
• Ensure factory layout projects with the engineering department are in order with HACCP requirements and maintain the food safety standards.
• Involved in all engineering projects for the upgrade of processing lines, setting up conveyors, Marel grader, automated descaler and baarder machines and conduct risk assessments.
• Assist in production plans according to raw material offloaded from vessels with the use of baarder machines and marel grader.
• Ensure that product conformity and dispositioning of stock based on sampled products by the NRCS and internally is in full control and no deviation thereof.
• Monitor the selection of stock for export to the EU concentrating on stock count and batch codes in liaise with the Despatch department and apply for Health Certificate for the exports. Also, ensuring traceability with imports by liaising with sales department.
• Sampling for product (water,ice,fish) microbiological, heavy metal and chemical analysis according to food safety and EU requirements i.e., DAFF, NRCS, EU Directives, SANS 241, SANS 585
• Achieve HACCP operational objectives by contributing information and analysis to strategic plans and reviews; preparing and completing action plans; implementing production, productivity, quality, and customer-service standards; identifying and resolving problems; completing audits; determining system improvements; implementing change.
• Manage internal and external audits to ensure that all food safety requirements are achieved and maintained throughout the whole supply chain, on an ongoing basis.
• Conduct internal audits to ensure compliance with SANS 585, SANS 10049 to maintain the food safety policies and procedures.
• Develop quality assurance plans by conducting hazard analyses; identifying critical control points and preventive measures; establishing critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, and verification procedures; monitoring inventories.
• Management of the Quality Control division and staff members, by ensuring that food safety and production targets are met daily.
• Maintain and improve food safety and quality by collaborating with other members of management for the identification of staff food safety training needs, development of in-house training and sourcing of external accredited training providers.
• Identify, investigate and resolve food safety related problems, to ensure that standards are maintained; overall customer satisfaction is achieved; and organisational brand integrity is upheld.
• Assisting the planning, execution and review of new products
• Part of planning for new products or changes in processing and product with all specifications involved, equipment, packaging design with legal weight requirements as per legal metrology (SANS 1841, 289 and R146) and any other material.
• Compile product specifications and update the product range; maintain a register of all raw materials, chemicals etc.
• Collating, compiling and maintaining supplier information (material Safety data Sheets of chemicals, packaging and see that all specifications are met)
• Supplier and service providers management and evaluation through supplier evaluation questionnaires distributed to critical packaging suppliers.

Other key tasks:

• Ensure that HSE requirements are communicated and implemented within the organisation thereby ensuring full legal and customer compliance, on an ongoing basis.
• Organising for OHS audits and communicating hazards with high risk to management and assist with risk prioritising thereof. Organise for risk assessment commencement with task teams.
• Ensure compliance with OHSAct 85 of 1993 by providing administrative support to operations in order to meet health and safety standards.
• Accomplish quality assurance human resource objectives by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, assigning, scheduling, coaching, counselling, and disciplining employees.

Achievements

• Maintained the EU listing after the company was delisted in 2014.
• Achieving annual certificates for vessels with NRCS.
• Achieved MSC certification
• Improvements on processing lines towards less handling of product and maintaining the cold chain.
• Contribution to the 50 ton back up water tank set up project.
• Achieving Zero microbial counts on ice after noticing a trend on microbial analysis and maintained the standard.
• No product disposals due to microbiological failures.
• Improved hygiene standards and food safety knowledge on board with fishermen.

• Conducting food safety audits for QPRO International clients with reference to Regulation 918 for acceptability of food premises as per the FDC Act covering the Eastern Cape.
• Conduct supplier audits at all client’s suppliers such as fresh produce, abattoirs, bakeries and distribution depot based on the Global Food Safety Intermediate.
• Compile detailed audit reports with recommendations when deemed necessary based on client compliance.
• Submission of detailed reports to the technical audit assessor within given deadline.
• Follow up on audit comments with the technical audit assessor for elaboration when needed.
• Collecting food samples and swabs for microbiological analysis as scheduled and results would be sent directly to clients.
• Application of aseptic methods when collecting samples and ensuring that they are kept chilled for transportation.
• Assistance with operational matters at the audited retails as required to ensure improvement towards food safety systems and control.
• Basic food safety training courses for clients as required to assist with improvement on hygiene and food safety practices.
• Following up on post audit queries and client disputes.

Achievements

• Assisted upgrade and maintain food safety and hygiene standards to those retails that were struggling to pass audits.

• Liaising with suppliers for the required information regarding raw materials
• Compilation and maintenance of approved suppliers list
• Supplier evaluations and questionnaires
• Raw material risk assessments
• Compilation of Raw Material specifications
• Compile finished product specifications for all final products
• Ensure that all the required QC inspections are performed by QC
• Ensure that records are completed accurately, and that data is captured timeously
• Compile monthly trend analysis of results and report to Top Management
• Ensure that records are filed neatly
• Ensure that deviations recorded are reported to relevant managers
• Ensure that samples are retained per batch and that inspections are conducted to verify shelf-life and quality.
• Liaise with external laboratories to conduct the required analytical tests and microbiological testing on raw materials and end products according to testing schedule
• Assisting the planning, execution and review of new products
• Liaison with Pest Control Contractor and Verification of the Pest Control System
• Receiving, investigating and reporting on customer complaints to Sales Manager
• Annual Planning of the required internal and external Food Safety training requirements with HR
• Planning of all staff medicals
• Documenting the Product Recall Protocols
• Implementation of the annual mock recall and food defence checklist
• Compilation of agenda and minutes for the annual management review

Achievements

• All annual audits passed on a yearly basis with the NRCS and no EU delisting.
• Contributed towards the learnership start up program in order to upskill fish handlers.