Food Technologist

Job Title:

Location:

Department:

Reports To:

Employment Type:

Company Overview:

We are a leading food manufacturing company specializing in high-quality frozen vegetarian sweets, snacks, and gravies. Our commitment to safety, innovation, and authentic flavors drives us to maintain the highest standards in food quality and hygiene.

Job Summary:

The Food Microbiologist will be responsible for ensuring the microbiological safety and quality of raw materials, in-process products, and finished goods. This role will support the food safety program, conduct microbiological testing, and help develop and improve sanitation and GMP protocols in alignment with regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Microbiological Testing & Analysis

• Conduct routine microbiological testing of raw materials, WIP, finished products, and environmental samples (swabs, water, air, equipment).
• Monitor and detect potential microbial contamination in products such as sweets (e.g. rasgulla, gulab jamun), snacks (e.g. samosas, kachoris), and gravies.

• Food Safety & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with FSSAI, HACCP, ISO 22000, and other relevant food safety standards.
• Review and validate cleaning and sanitation procedures with respect to microbiological control.
• Maintain and calibrate laboratory instruments and ensure lab hygiene and safety.

• Documentation & Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of all microbiological tests, environmental monitoring, and corrective actions.
• Prepare and present microbiological data for audits and internal reviews.

• Continuous Improvement

• Collaborate with production and QA teams to investigate and resolve microbial deviations or non-conformances.
• Participate in shelf-life studies and process validations for new and existing products.

• Training & Audits

• Provide microbiological training to production and hygiene staff.
• Support internal and external food safety audits as a subject matter expert.

Qualifications:

• Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, Food Science, or related field.
• 2–5 years of experience in a food manufacturing setup, preferably in frozen or ready-to-eat vegetarian products.
• Familiarity with pathogens relevant to frozen foods and dairy-based sweets (e.g. Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, yeast and molds).
• Experience with laboratory techniques including plate counting, PCR, ATP swabbing, and environmental monitoring.
• Strong knowledge of FSSAI guidelines and food safety standards.

Skills:

• Analytical thinking and attention to detail
• Strong documentation and record-keeping
• Knowledge of Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)
• Team collaboration and communication
• Problem-solving with a preventive mindset

Preferred Experience:

• Worked in a frozen food or Indian sweets/snacks manufacturing facility.
• Familiarity with traditional ingredients like khoa, ghee, besan, etc., and their microbial sensitivity.