QualiTru Sampling Systems has launched a new Technical Services Educational Training (TSET) Program aimed at dairy processing professionals.

The program provides training on food safety, regulatory compliance, quality assurance, sanitation, and workforce development for employees at multiple organizational levels. It was developed to help dairy processors address workforce challenges while supporting food safety objectives, audit preparedness, and operational performance by providing resources and technical information.

Dairy Industry Workforce Challenges

According to the national Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, workforce issues represent a long-term barrier to success. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects significant shortfalls of trained workers in both the agricultural and food processing industries over the next several years.

The industry, which is already dealing with an employee turnover rate estimated at 38 percent annually, finds its challenges compounded by the effects of an aging workforce. This has led to the loss of more senior employees to retirement, as well as difficulty attracting new employees to the field.

Training Areas Focus on Food Safety and Compliance

In this context, the TSET Program addresses topics including food safety and regulatory compliance, sampling and verification methods, sanitation practices, audit preparedness, and process documentation.

Training programs can be customized to meet facility-specific needs and are organized into four core areas:

• Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance: Topics include Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), root cause analysis, and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) programs
• Dairy Science and Microbiology: Topics include environmental monitoring fundamentals and aseptic sampling practices used for statistical process control
• Sanitation and Hygiene Excellence: Training covers sanitation principles, food safety practices, equipment operation, cleaning procedures, and preventive maintenance
• Leadership and Culture Development: Topics include communication, leadership, and supervisory skills for dairy and liquid food processing operations.

Training Led by Food Safety Professionals

All training sessions will be developed and delivered by Sabina C.V. Alexander, M.S., the company's Director of Technical and Science Services. Ms. Alexander previously served as a corporate quality assurance manager for a commercial dairy processor, overseeing quality programs across 18 facilities in the U.S. Midwest. She is a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) and has completed training through the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA).

Ms. Alexander said the program was designed to strengthen employee knowledge of contamination control, monitoring strategies, and food safety systems while supporting food safety culture initiatives.

Training content aligns with preventive controls requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and training expectations associated with Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-benchmarked certification programs, including BRCGS and Safe Quality Food (SQF) standards.

Customized Training and Future Expansion

QualiTru offers consultation to identify an organization's training priorities and workforce needs so that curriculum content and delivery schedules can be tailored to employee roles, production schedules, and operational requirements.

The company also said it plans to provide performance metrics and recommendations intended to support continuous improvement efforts.

The TSET Program may be expanded in the future to serve additional liquid food processing sectors beyond dairy manufacturing.