Welcome to another edition of our Day in the Life series! We continue to be amazed by the feedback these articles receive, which is why we want to extend the spotlight over to our incredible Food Safety and Quality Assurance department, but we’re going to zoom out this time.
Instead of just one member of our team, we’re going to talk about the whole squad, because the truth is it takes a village to manage the top-quality Food Safety team that gives us (and consumers) peace of mind. One word best describes Food Safety and QA here at Latitude: dynamic. Food Safety permeates everything we do, and that means our team works within every phase of our operations to make sure we’re putting safe, quality food on the table. It’s their job to support the rest of our teams from when the supplier delivers materials, to the ingredients going through production, to even the people shipping the finished product.
To use an analogy, FSQA is both the heart and blood of Latitude. Not only is it our lifeline, it’s also the catalyst that keeps things moving in a safe, healthy way throughout all our departments.
The job starts way before the product actually makes it to our facilities. They’re constantly vetting suppliers to ensure materials are safe before we start moving to production. Once there, they make sure Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s) are being followed both among staff and with the raw components— which means proper hand washing, allergen control, proper attire, and machinery sanitizing to ensure we keep our promise of uncompromised excellence when it comes to our products. And that’s just among our own teams. Food Safety and QA are also working with agencies like USDA and SQF to pass audits with flying colors, and certify our facilities with the highest standard of safety protocols. In many ways, this team is the gatekeeper of Latitude, making sure what we’re getting is quality, and what we’re producing is even better than when we started.
The bottom line is this— Food Safety ensures safe operations and customer satisfaction. But we could talk all day about the technical stuff. The team has a few more things to share if you’re looking to join us.
One thing we value in Food Safety is diversity. From our managers to the technicians, FSQA is a rich tapestry of backgrounds that come together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Far from being a liability, the different types of experience each person brings to the table is a strength, because it enables the team to deal with a variety of challenges.
Being the heart and blood of the organization doesn’t come without the occasional clot, and when the unexpected happens FSQA needs to be ready. You can’t be married to plans in our Food Safety department, and you can’t be afraid to get out of the lab and be hands-on with operations.
Technology plays a huge part in this, and in many ways is a competitive advantage. Our FSQA team uses iPads on the floor to utilize an industry leading cloud-based Food Safety management software to send live updates from the lines, and notify managers of any discrepancies or hiccups in real time, that way FSQA can be proactive and stop potential issues before they start.
This means you must be curious, scientific, and passionate about our mission: to solve problems while making sure the customer gets what they pay for.
It’s the best of both worlds, where you can play a direct role in the quality of the food we make AND be responsible for the smile on a customer’s face when they can enjoy their food without worry. And that’s what makes the hard work worth it. To see a product you worked on hit the shelves free of issues is the biggest reward FSQA can ask for.
Sound like something you want to be a part of? Head to our Team page on our website and check out our recruiting portal to see some of our open positions within this amazing department, and come see just what you’re capable of when you have a top-notch team to back you up. Food Safety is the epitome of #OneTeamOneDream, and it’s time they got the recognition they deserve. So cheers to safety, cheers to quality, and cheers to literally getting to eat the fruits (or veggies) of your labor.