Quality Meat Specialist

Job Purpose: The Meat Quality Specialist is responsible for implementing and overseeing meat quality and food safety standards as per Panda Policy. The role provides technical expertise for fresh, chilled, frozen, and vacuum-packed meat products, ensuring compliance with Panda Quality Standards, product specifications, Halal requirements, and applicable regulatory requirements. The specialist supports supplier slaughterhouse assessments, product quality investigations, receiving standards, and continuous improvement initiatives to ensure safe, compliant, and high-quality meat products are supplied to Panda customers. Key Accountabilities: •Maintain quality standards, specifications, and inspection criteria for fresh, chilled, frozen, and vacuum-packed meat products. •Follow receiving acceptance criteria and product disposition guidelines. •Standardize inspection procedures across Distribution Centers and retail operations. •Monitor compliance with Panda meat quality standards and regulatory requirements. Inspect inbound, outbound, and in-process products against approved quality standards to ensure compliance with regulatory and company requirements. •Conduct technical evaluations and assessments of slaughterhouses, meat processors, and suppliers. •Review supplier quality performance and develop improvement plans. •Lead supplier investigations related to quality incidents and recurring non-conformities. •Review and approve meat product specifications, packaging specifications, and quality attributes. •Evaluate primal cuts, portioned meat, and vacuum-packed products against approved standards. •Inspect acceptable limits for defects, purge, discoloration, packaging integrity, shelf life, and temperature requirements. •Provide technical support to Distribution Center Meat Inspectors during product evaluations and disposition decisions. •Verify receiving, storage, handling, and dispatch practices maintain product quality and cold chain integrity. •Investigate product rejections, temperature deviations, and quality complaints arising from Panda DC. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree or in Veterinary Medicine, Agriculture, Food Science, Food Technology, Microbiology, Quality Assurance, or a related discipline. Professional Certifications: HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) / Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) Food Safety Level 4 or equivalent. Experience: 5 years of progressive experience in meat quality, food safety, and quality assurance within the meat industry. Proven experience in one or more of the following: Slaughterhouses “required” Vacuum-packed meat production “required” Meat cutting and deboning facilities Retail or Distribution Center quality operations Demonstrated experience in: Receiving inspection programs for fresh, chilled, frozen, and vacuum-packed meat products. Product specification assessment and quality standards. Investigation of meat quality complaints and non-conformities. Human Capital – OD - JD Cold chain management and temperature control.