Approach
I have extensive experience working with businesses across the food industry supply chain; including growers, food processors, food service, food manufacturers, caterers, warehousing and distribution. The businesses range from owner operators to businesses with hundreds of staff. My approach is the same. By working with you through honest dialogue, the status quo can be genuinely challenged and value added solutions discussed. This is achieved by encouraging input from all levels of your business. Together it is possible to create food safety solutions that not only meet regulatory requirements but identify any gaps, improve efficiencies, engage and build staff capability to facilitate change and establish a culture of continuous improvement.
About
I am Helen McDonald, a specialist food safety consultant with over 25 years of experience in assisting hundreds of food businesses facilitate food safety change. I do this by providing professional, science based, practical food safety systems and guidance, to ensure that you can provide consistently safe and quality food for your customers and achieve successful food safety verification outcomes.
My in depth knowledge of the Food Act and understanding of the compliance requirements makes me adept at interpreting the Food Act. I can apply the Act requirements and confidently design a tailored approach to suit your business that you can trust. My previous experience as a business partner of a national food safety auditing company, and my ongoing active food control plan and national programme verifying, means that I naturally keep up to date with regulatory requirements and the food industry.
My practical approach comes from where my career began in the dairy industry. I had the opportunity to work in and leading onto managing the laboratory and work in the dairy production and manufacturing. This dual experience provided valuable insights into the challenges facing manufacturers and allowed me to develop problem solving skills beneficial for both areas of the business.
This strong knowledge base and experience when applied to a consultancy role results in speeding up the consulting process and therefore becomes very cost effective for my clients.
Qualifications
NZCS Certificate in Food Science
Professional Member of NZIFST (New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology)
Recognised MPI (Ministry of Primary Industries) Verifier and Evaluator