Food safety consultants provide specialized assistance to restaurants, bars, and other food manufacturers. This area requires a high level of process-drivenness, attention to detail, and a good understanding of regulations and compliance for restaurants. This guide will help you learn everything you need about food safety consulting.
What is Food Safety Consulting?
Foodservice establishments in the United States must adhere to various safety and food regulations. However, restaurant owners may find it challenging to understand the regulations and renew them. This is why many choose to hire a food safety consultant rather than do it themselves. Restaurants and bars can get food safety consulting to help them meet their regulatory obligations.
Common elements that a food safety consultant can assist with:
- Analysis and development of food safety plans
- Training for internal auditors
- Assessment and Development of a Plan
- HACCP certification and training
- Assistance with regulatory enforcement
- Food Safety Modernization Act Compliance
What are the Job Descriptions for Food Safety Consultants?
While specific requirements for food safety consultants vary from one state to the next, some elements can be found in all job descriptions of food safety consultants.
- Education: A bachelor’s degree is usually required in a similar field, such as food science or agribusiness.
- Experience: While the experience required will vary depending on the job; most jobs require at least two to five years. Experience with food safety procedures, checklists, documentation, and training staff is the most important thing. In certain situations, however, education can be more important than experience.
- Skills: As training and managing large teams are vital parts of the job, employers expect consultants to communicate clearly and effectively verbally and written. As the job involves evaluating reports, multi-tasking is a must.
- Responsibilities: Providing advice and reports to restaurant owners, answering questions from potential clients, and understanding and managing food safety protocols and procedures are just a few of the core responsibilities for food safety consultants. Food safety consultants ensure that all processes, products, and systems comply with food safety standards.
What is the annual salary of food safety consultants?
Although most food safety consulting jobs are salaried positions at a firm, there are also other types of compensation such as profit-sharing or bonuses. PayScale.com reports that the average salary of a food safety consultant ranges from just over $41,000 up to about $100,000.
Food safety consultants charge an average of $34.76 per hour. These rates are between $15 and $88 per hour at the low end and the high and low ends of the scale.
The website adds that the average bonus is $2,250 per year, and there is approximately $3,500 in profit-sharing. When it comes to compensation, there are two factors you should consider: experience and location. Consultants in New York City, for example, may be paid more. Still, they may also need more experience than those working elsewhere.