What are the responsibilities and job description for the Quality Control Laboratory Technician position at Commercial Creamery Company?
Company Description: Commercial Creamery Company is a family-owned dairy ingredient manufacturer with a history dating back to 1908. The company specializes in premium cheese powders, dairy powders, dairy concentrates, seasonings, sauce mixes, Chunkettes® (shelf-stable cheese pieces), and avocado powder. Commercial Creamery partners with food manufacturers from product development through global distribution to deliver great-tasting, innovative products with consistent quality. Its products are exported to more than 30 countries, with tailored solutions designed to meet the unique tastes and requirements of diverse markets. Team members join a long-established organization focused on reliability, innovation, and customer satisfaction in the food industry.
Summary: Tests and inspects products at various stages of the production process to ensure products comply and maintain a consistent quality.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
General Food Safety
- Understands, follows, and enforces all established Safety, Health, Food Defense, Food Safety, GFSI, SQF, FSMA, current GMP, and Company policies, procedures, and recognized practices.
- Follow all GLPs (Good Laboratory Practices) and GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices), including using appropriate tools (gloves, safety glasses, chemical aprons, etc.) to ensure chemicals and tests are handled and conducted appropriately and to ensure cross-contamination does not occur.
- Ensures that product quality is an absolute priority.
Product and Ingredient Testing:
- Conduct quality control of raw materials, work in progress, and finished products to ensure that results meet specified requirements.
- Check the quality of samples to ensure the color, flavor, salt, moisture, pH and acidity, etc. is consistent and that the product is free from discrepancies (lumps, specks, etc.).
- Become proficient in all analytical procedures including, but not limited to, electric and manual titration, moisture and fat analysis, water activity, sieve, angle of repose, colorimeter.
- Perform all analytical test including: CEM fat and moisture analysis, Denver Instrument and microwave, pH, titratable acidity, salt, sodium, free fatty acid, cheese solubility test, capsicum heat test, ash and water activity.
- Perform all physical tests including: color by Hunter, Viscosity by Brookfield and Bostwick Consistometer, and Bulk Density.
- Clean, maintain, and calibrate laboratory equipment including scales, titrators, microwaves, stoves, etc.
- Pull samples sanitarily for line tests, micro tests, retains, etc. and ensure retain library is up to date.
- Stock and maintain an organized and clean environment in the labs to prevent contamination to the tests.
- Conduct product cook-ups, color and flavor checks, sieve analysis, and microwave oven moisture.
Record Keeping and Production Compliance:
- Check product labels to ensure product/lot/batch numbers are correct and the packaging is clean and free from defects.
- Maintain accurate records of product specification test results on both the company's ERP system and by written documentation.
- Assist supervisor in placing holds on products that are out of specification and track items in the ERP.
- Conduct Product Change-over inspections, PPE Inspections, Hand & Boot Swab inspections, and scale weight checks in the plant.
- Accurately weigh small amounts of ingredients for production.
Knowledge/Experience/Skills:
- Self-motivated and able to work with little supervision
- Must be dependable and trustworthy
- Detail oriented, accurate, and excellent record-keeping skills
- Strategic thinker with good judgment, decisiveness, and interpersonal skills
- General computer knowledge
- Able to lift and carry 50 lbs.