Salisha Hosein

Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and Regulatory Compliance leader with 20+ years of experience across manufacturing, federal government, and corporate environments. Expertise spanning meat, retail, QSR, processed foods, cannabis and pet food; supporting leading organizations including McDonald's Canada, Yum! Brands, Maple Leaf Foods, Kraft Canada, and Open Farm Pet.

Certified BRCGS Auditor, SQF Practitioner, HACCP, and FSEP professional with strong knowledge of Canadian (CFIA, Health Canada) and U.S. (FDA, FSMA) regulatory frameworks. Proven track record managing large-scale supplier and co-manufacturer networks, including oversight of 90+ suppliers, 12 co-manufacturers, and 9 distribution centers. Recognized for leading audits, managing recalls and crisis situations, and driving improvements in compliance, operational performance, and implementing strong corporate programs.

FSQA & Regulatory Manager - Open Farm Pet - Toronto, ON

(2024-01)

Open Farm is one of the fastest growing CPG companies in North America. They transform the way people feed their pets, with a focus on producing premium, healthy food and treats, all ethically sourced and traceable from farm-to-bowl. Reported to Director FSQAR; managed one direct report.

• Oversee FSQA operations across a network of 10 co-manufacturers (highest-risk product categories), 9 warehouse partners spanning wholesale and retail channels, and 10+ protein suppliers across Canada, the U.S., and international markets.
• Drive compliance improvement across a multi-site supplier network by identifying gaps in HACCP implementation and audit readiness; introduced a standardized audit protocol, risk-based supplier classification, and targeted corrective action tracking, resulting in a 20% reduction in major non-conformances and improved third-party audit scores (BRC/SQF) within 12 months.
• Successfully onboarded 7 co-manufacturers and 5 warehouse partners within a 6-month period, ensuring full compliance with corporate FSQA standards.
• Led corporate FSQA program implementation, including development of manufacturing audit standards, distribution centre requirements, and a comprehensive onboarding and audit framework for protein suppliers and new partners.
• Mentor and develop an FSQA direct report through structured coaching, audit shadowing, leadership development planning and manufacturing processes.

Quality Assurance & Regulatory Manager - Baby Gourmet Foods (Hero Group) - Calgary, AB (Remote)

(2020-01 - 2024-01)

Reported to VP, Quality & Innovation; managed one direct report.

• Managed a portfolio of 90+ suppliers and 11 co-manufacturers across Canada and the U.S., ensuring the consistent supply of safe, high-quality products; strengthened supplier performance and oversight, resulting in a 30%+ reduction in quality incidents and improved on-time, in-spec delivery across markets.
• Designed and led enterprise-wide food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance programs across the Hero Group of Companies; established standardized systems that improved audit readiness and reduced compliance gaps across all business units.
• Mentored and developed an FSQA direct report through structured coaching, audit shadowing, and leadership development planning, resulting in promotion to FSQA Manager within 12 months and enhanced team capability, contributing to improved audit outcomes and reduced dependency on senior leadership.
• Accountable for the release of all raw materials, packaging, and finished goods; implemented robust testing and inspection programs that improved right-first-time product release and reduced product holds and deviations by over 20%.
• Ensured ongoing compliance with Canadian and U.S. regulatory and industry requirements, including proactive management of internal, external, and regulatory findings; improved CAPA effectiveness and reduced repeat non-conformances by over 50%.
• Directed and led Recall and Crisis Management programs, maintaining a state of readiness through mock recalls and traceability exercises; consistently achieved 100% traceability within target timelines and strengthened organizational response capabilities.
• Championed cost optimization initiatives, reducing annual laboratory testing spend by 25% through risk-based analysis of historical data and product risk profiling, without compromising food safety or compliance.
• Led implementation of the BRCGS Agents & Brokers certification program, achieving full compliance and successful certification on first audit, positioning the organization as a leader in food safety within its category.
• Managed a product recall with no major deviations identified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, demonstrating strong crisis management, traceability, and regulatory compliance execution.
• Oversaw regulatory compliance across Canada and the U.S., ensuring alignment with requirements from the CFIA and FDA under FSMA; maintained a strong compliance record with no critical regulatory findings.

Owner & Food Safety / Quality Assurance Consultant - Safe Bite Consulting Inc. - Toronto, ON

(2016-01 - 2023-01)

Independent consultant providing food safety, quality control, and compliance advisory services to clients including Alberta Gaming Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC), Baby Gourmet, IREKS North America, Business Development Canada, and 100KM Foods. Concurrent with employed role from 2020–2023.

• Enabled clients to achieve BRCGS/SQF certification within 6–9 months, improving audit scores from "Conditional/C" to "A/B" ratings and eliminating critical non-conformances.
• Reduced repeat audit findings by 40–60% through implementation of robust CAPA programs and internal audit systems.
• Supported full compliance with CFIA and FDA requirements by closing preventive control and traceability gaps, resulting in zero critical findings during regulatory inspections.
• Designed and implemented PCP/HACCP plans that met regulatory standards, reducing compliance deviations by 50% within one year.
• Developed and tested recall programs, improving traceability accuracy to 100% within 2–4 hours and reducing mock recall response times by over 60%.
• Minimized business risk by identifying high-risk gaps in supplier and allergen controls, preventing potential Class I recall scenarios.
• Built supplier approval and monitoring programs that improved supplier compliance scores by 30%+ and reduced incoming material issues.
• Standardized co-manufacturer onboarding and audit processes, accelerating onboarding timelines by 25–40% while maintaining compliance.
• Delivered targeted FSQA training programs that increased employee compliance and audit readiness scores across production teams.
• Strengthened food safety culture through leadership coaching and KPI development, resulting in improved accountability and sustained audit performance.

Quality Systems Manager - McDonald's Restaurants of Canada - Toronto, ON

(2015-01 - 2016-01)

Reported to Director of Quality Systems; developed and enforced standards and processes and managed a large vendor portfolio ensuring supply of safe, consistent, high-quality products from farm to fork. Fixed 1 year contract.

• Managed portfolio of 20+ suppliers and 10 co-manufacturers across Canada and USA to ensure supply of safe, consistent, high-quality product across Canadian and US markets.
• Delivered guidance on supplier QA and food safety programs including HACCP/FSEP, GFSI benchmark schemes, and 3rd-party audits.
• Conducted over 20 McDonald's FSQA compliance audits across supplier and manufacturing networks.
• Served as key communications link with Regional Health Department and government authorities.
• Represented McDonald's on the Canadian Organization for Global Corporate Quality Systems team.
• Executed McDonald's new food concept launches; supported product development team by testing for new microbiological, chemical, and shelf-life risks; attended trial production runs to approve new facilities and suppliers.
• Reduced product cost-to-serve by 10% through direction and support of supplier process and product development activities.

Quality Assurance Specialist - Yum! Brands International - Toronto, ON

(2013-01 - 2015-01)

Reported to Compliance Manager; led all QA programs and systems for Yum! suppliers, vendors, and restaurants across KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell.

• Managed QA hotline vendor and system for all three brands, reducing restaurant complaints by 29% over two years through trend analysis, crisis management, and structured complaint resolution.
• Generated supplier KPI reports, created and executed action plans on non-conformances, and developed KPI frameworks for new product introductions.
• Ensured compliance of labelling, product claims, and restaurant advertising across all brands.
• Increased compliance rate by 25% in 2014 across packaging, animal welfare, supplier, and environmental audits through quarterly supplier calls based on QA scorecards.
• Created in-house produce evaluation program, reducing external lab services costs by 5%.
• Supported new product development, delivering 10% cost savings through supplier and product approvals, production run management, and verification of product performance and safety.

Manager, Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance - Maple Leaf Foods - Toronto, ON

(2013-01 - 2013-09)

Reported to Technical SVP; one direct report. Fixed 8 month contract.

• Supported Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and Regulatory Affairs across 22 manufacturing sites, driving enterprise-wide alignment and compliance.
• Trained and coached QA and FSQA Leads on HACCP, FSEP, and regulatory requirements, standardizing program execution across all facilities.
• Streamlined and standardized food safety programs, SOPs, and tools to improve consistency and operational efficiency.
• Led end-to-end development and implementation of food safety programs and SOPs for the Guelph distribution centre startup.
• Secured HACCP recognition within 4 months for a 500+ SKU CFIA-registered re-inspection facility, achieving zero non-conformances during audit.
• Interpreted and operationalized Canadian regulatory requirements, proactively updating SOPs to ensure ongoing compliance.

Fair Labelling & Food Safety Inspector / Senior Primary Inspector - Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) - Toronto, ON

(2009-01 - 2012-01)

Promoted to EG04 Inspector within one year.

• Conducted over 150 food inspections annually, including major grocery chains, independent retail inspections, importers, exporters, distributors, and registered facilities in line with Canadian Acts and Regulations.
• Auditing food businesses' preventative control plans (HACCP) and conducting onsite inspections of food production, processing, and storage facilities.
• Provided guidance & education while assisting industry stakeholders in understanding and implementing regulatory requirements and food safety obligations.
• Conducted and investigated food safety and trade complaints, analysed laboratory results, and provided detailed inspection reports.
• Assisted with over 20+ recalls.
• Ensured compliance with labelling regulations, composition, identity, nutrition, and advertising claims of food products at all levels of trade.
• Assess compliance with labelling, traceability, and food safety standards and administer enforcement activities with non-conformances.

Diploma - Biotechnology / Industrial Microbiology - Centennial College of Applied Arts and Technology (2003-01)