Waseem Cheema

Results-driven Food Safety & Quality Assurance professional with 7+ years of regulatory and industry experience. Currently serving as Food Safety Officer & Team Leader at Sindh Food Authority, managing compliance across 500+ food businesses and conducting 100+ audits annually. CQI/IRCA-certified FSSC 22000 v5 / ISO 22000:2018 Lead Auditor with a BS in Food Science & Technology.

Expertise spans HACCP, GMP, SSOP, food fraud prevention, Halal compliance, and laboratory testing. Proven track record of leading multi-district enforcement operations, developing HACCP plans and SOPs, and driving measurable compliance improvements across manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and retail sectors.

Food Safety Officer & Team Leader at Sindh Food Authority (SFA) (2019-01 – Present)

Currently posted in District Malir; previously managed Districts Central and West (Additional) — among the most populated districts in Karachi — overseeing compliance for 500+ registered food businesses with a team of 4 Food Safety Officers.

• Conducted 100+ regulatory audits and inspections annually across food manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and storage facilities, consistently achieving 90%+ compliance rate across the jurisdiction.
• Led 50+ enforcement operations including high-profile media sting operations, crackdowns on substandard food, and seizure of non-compliant vehicles and premises, resulting in removal of unsafe food from public supply.
• Developed and updated 20+ SOPs and SSOPs for food business operators (FBOs); oversaw HACCP plan implementation and GMP compliance across 500+ food businesses in the jurisdiction.
• Performed gap analyses on 80+ food manufacturers; prepared corrective and preventive action (CAPA) reports and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) documentation, driving measurable improvements in food safety management systems.
• Investigated and resolved 30+ food fraud, false labelling, and misleading advertisement cases; enforced food defence protocols and certification verification across the district portfolio.
• Delivered 40+ counselling and compliance guidance sessions to FBOs annually; coordinated field activity planning and reporting with Deputy Director and Director of Operations to drive jurisdiction-wide compliance strategy.
• Coordinated with local law enforcement for operational security during raids and enforcement actions; represented the competent authority in legal proceedings for food safety violation cases filed under provincial legislation.
• Managed safe disposal and chain-of-custody documentation for tonnes of seized and unsafe food items; executed special task audits across Sindh Rural districts on assignment from the Directorate.

Food Technologist / QA Executive at Slice of Life (Bread Company) (2018-05 – 2018-11)

• Developed 5+ new bakery product formulations for fast food client Burger Lab Karachi, ensuring full compliance with client specifications and shelf-life requirements.
• Implemented Yum! Brands food safety standards across production processes, successfully achieving KFC supplier qualification requirements within a 3-month timeline.
• Monitored quality control checkpoints across all production stages, maintaining 100% GMP compliance and zero critical food safety violations during tenure.

BS in Food Science & Technology – University of Karachi (2015-01 – 2018-12)

Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) – Bahria College Karsaz (2013 – 2014)

Secondary School Certificate (SSC) – Bahria College Karsaz (2011 – 2012)