QA Executive – Food Safety & Quality

A leading food and bakery production operation in Bengaluru, India is looking for a QA Executive to join its central kitchen team. The role focuses on food quality assurance, food safety compliance, raw material inspection, finished goods specifications, supplier quality management, sensory evaluation, and hygiene monitoring across kitchen and food production operations.

The ideal candidate should have a background in Food Technology, Food Science, Food Safety, or a related discipline, along with practical knowledge of quality control procedures, food hygiene standards, and central kitchen or food and beverage production processes.

This position is suitable for food technologists and quality assurance professionals who want to develop their careers in bakery production, commercial kitchens, food manufacturing, and hospitality food safety management.

Job Responsibilities

1. Raw Material and Finished Goods Quality Management

• Develop, review, and maintain detailed raw material specifications for ingredients used in central kitchen and food production operations.
• Prepare and maintain finished goods (FG) specifications, covering product quality, sensory characteristics, presentation, and applicable quality requirements.
• Establish quality standards for raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished food items.
• Monitor ingredient quality and ensure that raw materials meet established specifications before being used in production.
• Coordinate with kitchen production and procurement teams to address raw material quality issues and maintain consistency in finished products.
• Support the implementation of quality control procedures for bakery products, prepared foods, desserts, and other food production categories.

2. Food Label, Tag, and Ingredient Verification

• Inspect and approve product labels, tags, ingredient lists, and other product-related information.
• Verify that ingredient declarations and product identification details are accurate and consistent with approved specifications.
• Review labeling requirements for new products, seasonal offerings, and customized customer orders.
• Coordinate with relevant departments to address labeling discrepancies and maintain accurate product documentation.
• Assist in ensuring compliance with applicable food labeling and food safety requirements.

3. Approved Vendors and Supplier Quality Control

• Develop and maintain an Approved Brands List and Approved Vendors List for raw materials and food ingredients.
• Review the quality and suitability of products supplied by vendors.
• Collect and evaluate vendor samples and assess new materials during initial supplier qualification.
• Inspect first-time supplies and newly introduced raw materials to verify compliance with established quality requirements.
• Coordinate with procurement and suppliers to resolve quality concerns and support consistent raw material sourcing.
• Maintain relevant vendor quality records, inspection reports, and approval documentation.

4. Control Sample Collection and Production Monitoring

• Collect and retain control samples from daily production, particularly for special, large, and VIP customer orders.
• Establish appropriate procedures for sample identification, collection, storage, and traceability.
• Monitor product quality during daily kitchen production and identify deviations from approved finished goods specifications.
• Coordinate with production teams to maintain consistency in food quality, appearance, taste, texture, and presentation.
• Support investigations into product quality concerns using production records and retained samples where applicable.

5. Sensory Evaluation and Product Quality Assessment

• Conduct routine sensory evaluation of daily food production based on approved finished goods specifications.
• Assess food products for appearance, aroma, taste, texture, consistency, and overall sensory quality, as applicable to the product.
• Conduct sensory evaluation of new products, festival specials, and newly developed food items.
• Document sensory evaluation findings and communicate deviations to the relevant kitchen and management teams.
• Work with production and product development teams to support improvements in product consistency and customer satisfaction.
• Assist in establishing appropriate sensory quality benchmarks for different food product categories.

6. Customer Complaints and Quality Feedback

• Prepare responses to customer and client complaints related to food quality, product specifications, and service-related quality concerns.
• Review customer feedback and coordinate with relevant departments to investigate reported issues.
• Support root cause analysis and corrective action planning for recurring product quality complaints.
• Maintain complaint records and monitor the implementation of corrective and preventive actions where applicable.
• Communicate quality-related findings to management and assist in preventing repeated customer complaints.

7. Fresh Produce, Dairy, and Raw Material Inspection

• Conduct random inspections of incoming fresh vegetables, fruits, milk, and other perishable raw materials.
• Verify the quality, freshness, condition, and suitability of incoming ingredients against established acceptance criteria.
• Identify damaged, spoiled, contaminated, or non-conforming raw materials and report concerns to the relevant departments.
• Conduct inspections of incoming vendor samples and newly supplied materials.
• Support the implementation of receiving inspection procedures for perishable and high-risk food ingredients.
• Maintain appropriate documentation of receiving checks and quality deviations.

8. Staff Hygiene and Food Safety Practices

• Develop and communicate staff hygiene guidelines for central kitchen and food production employees.
• Monitor employee hygiene practices and report deviations from established food safety procedures.
• Support the implementation of personal hygiene, hand hygiene, protective clothing, and safe food handling requirements.
• Conduct routine hygiene checks and communicate observations to production supervisors and management.
• Assist in promoting food safety awareness and good hygiene practices among kitchen staff.
• Support corrective actions when hygiene non-conformities are identified.

9. Cleaning Schedules and Food Safety SOPs

• Assist in developing and reviewing cleaning schedules for central kitchen areas, food contact surfaces, utensils, equipment, and production facilities.
• Support the preparation and implementation of cleaning and sanitation standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Coordinate with kitchen and housekeeping teams to ensure cleaning activities are performed according to established schedules.
• Assist in monitoring cleaning effectiveness and documenting identified deviations.
• Recommend improvements to cleaning practices and sanitation procedures based on operational observations and food safety requirements.

10. Food Safety Compliance and Management Support

• Provide technical assistance to management on product quality, food safety, process control, and operational compliance.
• Support due diligence activities related to food ingredients, production processes, suppliers, and finished products.
• Assist in identifying food safety risks and implementing appropriate control measures.
• Participate in internal quality reviews, inspections, and food safety improvement initiatives.
• Support compliance with applicable food safety regulations, internal quality standards, and operational procedures.
• Collaborate with kitchen, procurement, production, and management teams to maintain food quality and food safety standards.

11. Client Meetings and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Represent management or participate as a member of the core team during relevant operational and quality meetings.
• Assist in client presentations and discussions related to product quality, food safety practices, and production standards.
• Coordinate with new clients and internal teams to understand product requirements and quality expectations.
• Provide technical input during discussions concerning new products, special orders, and food production processes.
• Support management in maintaining consistent food quality and customer satisfaction across central kitchen operations.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Food Safety, Microbiology, or a related discipline.
• B.Sc. in Food Technology or B.Tech/B.E. in Food Technology is preferred.
• Practical knowledge of food quality assurance, food hygiene, and food safety management systems.
• Experience in central kitchen operations, bakery production, food manufacturing, hospitality, or food and beverage production is an advantage.
• Knowledge of raw material inspection, finished goods specifications, and sensory evaluation procedures.
• Understanding of food labeling, ingredient declarations, supplier approval, and quality documentation.
• Familiarity with cleaning schedules, sanitation SOPs, and staff hygiene monitoring.
• Ability to identify product quality deviations and communicate corrective actions effectively.
• Strong documentation, analytical, communication, and coordination skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with kitchen production, procurement, management, and client-facing teams.

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