Viraj Patel

Food Safety & Quality Assurance Professional with 4+ years of progressive experience supporting HACCP, GMP, sanitation and BRCGS/GFSI-aligned quality systems in food manufacturing. Experienced in internal and third-party audit support, CFIA regulatory compliance, non-conformance investigations, root cause analysis and CAPA, traceability and recall-readiness simulations, and SOP/document control. Skilled at training employees on GMP, allergen control and food safety, and at working cross-functionally with Production, Warehouse, Supply Chain, suppliers and QA leadership.

Holds NSF HACCP Manager certification. Proficient with SAP/NAV, Intelex, Parity Factory, SharePoint, Microsoft Office, and laboratory instrumentation.

Quality Assurance Coordinator at Yaya Foods Corporation (2022-12 – Present)

• Execute and oversee HACCP, GMP, QA and food safety programs across a high-volume, BRCGS-certified food manufacturing facility, ensuring compliance with CFIA, BRCGS, SOP and regulatory requirements.
• Support internal, third-party and customer audits by preparing documentation packages, coordinating evidence and maintaining site audit readiness.
• Lead GMP inspections, quality compliance audits and risk-based spot checks, identifying gaps, prioritizing actions and driving corrective and preventive improvements.
• Investigate quality incidents, material discrepancies and non-conformances (NCRs); lead root cause analysis and CAPA implementation to prevent recurrence.
• Lead traceability exercises and recall-readiness simulations while supporting cross-functional resolution of quality and food safety issues.
• Design and deliver employee training on GMP, QA procedures, sanitation, allergen control and food safety requirements.
• Develop, maintain and control SOPs, specifications, quality records and regulatory compliance documentation in accordance with BRCGS and CFIA requirements.
• Serve as a cross-functional liaison between QA, Production, Warehouse, Inventory and Supply Chain to prioritize multiple quality issues and maintain operational continuity.
• Compile and analyze monthly QA KPIs, including customer complaints, holds, non-conformances, GMP trends and environmental monitoring results, supporting management review and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with suppliers to resolve raw material quality issues, review supplier documentation and support supplier corrective action activities.
• Verify and authorize positive release of raw materials and packaging through review of Certificates of Analysis (CoA), supplier documentation and receiving records; support timely release of Quality Inspection materials.
• Coordinate in-house and third-party microbiological and analytical testing programs supporting raw material qualification, environmental monitoring and finished product release.
• Manage product hold and quarantine programs, including ERP hold transactions, material disposition and Certificate of Destruction documentation.
• Key Achievements: Reduced total hold inventory by 30% through implementation of earlier-stage issue identification protocols and accelerated resolution workflows.
• Key Achievements: Improved Certificate of Destruction turnaround time by 20% through enhanced coordination processes and interdepartmental communication.
• Key Achievements: Streamlined material disposition and destruction processes to significantly reduce warehouse backlog and improve overall supply chain throughput.

Quality Control Technician at Yaya Foods Corporation (2022-06 – 2022-12)

• Conducted comprehensive quality control activities across in-process, raw material, and finished goods streams within a regulated food manufacturing environment.
• Performed in-process, raw material, and finished product inspections against established quality and food safety specifications; escalated anomalies for immediate corrective action.
• Executed calibration, verification, and troubleshooting of analytical laboratory instruments including pH meters, UV-Vis spectrophotometers, HPLC, GC, refractometers, titrators, balances, and viscometers.
• Investigated Out-of-Specification (OOS) and Out-of-Trend (OOT) results; supported root cause analysis and corrective action implementation to maintain product integrity.
• Conducted microbiological sampling, retained sample inspections, and incubation activities as part of the environmental monitoring program.
• Verified lot codes, expiry dates, label accuracy, and packaging compliance during pre-production startups to prevent consumer safety and regulatory incidents.

Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology – Seneca College (2022-04)