For food safety professionals, staying current with best practices is critically important. Not only does this knowledge protect the food supply and ensure great results for manufacturers and suppliers, it also ensures that these professionals can take advantage of emerging opportunities and intriguing career pathways.
Qiang Zheng is the food safety and quality assurance manager at Melville Candy Company. He was an early adopter of the Certified SQF Practitioner credential when it launched late in 2024. This prestigious and groundbreaking credential is offered by the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) and administered by Exemplar Global.
New credential, new job
Strong experience in food safety along with the right training and certification has really allowed Zheng to enjoy some notable career successes.
“Right out of college, I joined a processing company named Monogram Foods and worked there for seven years, eventually getting promoted up to a role as a QA supervisor” says Zheng. “Last year, a recruiter reached out and told me about an opportunity at my current employer, which is an SQF-certified facility.
“I had done some training in terms of implementing the SQF system and SQF Code, but I had never worked at an SQF site or done an SQF audit,” Zheng continues. “When searching the SQFI website for additional training opportunities, I noticed the SQF Certified Practitioner credential. I thought that attaining the credential would make me a strong candidate for this new position. And it worked! I got the job in large part because of this credential along with my other qualifications.”
Practical knowledge
Keeping abreast of the changes to the SQF Code and foundational practice within the SQF framework proved extremely valuable to Zheng even before he pursued the SQF Certified Practitioner credential.
“I’ve always taken coursework from SQFI just for my own benefit,” he recalls. “At that time the practitioner credential was not available, but I’m thankful that I took those courses because it gave me a great foundation to pursue the credential. I was ready to advance my career to the next level, and earning the Certified SQF Practitioner credential definitely helped me do that.”
In his current role with Melville Candy Company, Zheng deals mostly with regulatory issues, maintaining the SQF system, and preparing his team for audits. In support of all these activities, his Certified SQF Practitioner credential has played a big role.
“This credential has allowed me to validate my knowledge,” says Zheng. “Before this credential, you would gain the knowledge by working or taking a few SQFI courses, but you weren’t actually certified as a practitioner. As one of the first to obtain this credential, I feel that it has allowed me to have a deeper understanding of the SQF system as a whole.”
Spreading the word
Zheng is confident that the Certified SQF Practitioner credential is a meaningful way to demonstrate a unique level of competency within the industry. The exam process, while rigorous, proved very much within the “sweet spot” of his experience and knowledge.
“The initial exam was about the fundamentals of the SQF system and tested your basic understanding of food safety, and the final exam was more of a case study,” Zheng says. “I’m sure that most professionals would find the exam process to be manageable given a good knowledge of food safety through work experience. If you hold a QA role in food safety, you should be able to pass and qualify for this credential.”
Going forward, he expects the proven benefits of the Certified SQF Practitioner credential to gain further and further traction in the job market, for himself and others he has recommended it to.
“This credential makes you stand out,” he concludes. “I have encouraged the QA specialist here at Melville Candy Company to take it as well. Having these requirements prepares you to take your career to new places, whether that’s as a QA manager, a QA Director, or pretty much anything else in the industry. It gives you a lot of options.
“For me, it’s been invaluable.”
Ready to unlock your own career opportunities?
Explore the Certified SQF Practitioner credential today and see how it can set you apart in the food safety field. Whether you’re looking to move up in your current company or open doors to new roles, this credential gives you the confidence—and the proof—to take the next step.
Visit the SQF training page now to learn more and register.