IJsbrand Velzeboer: ‘It’s okay to mislead an auditor a little’

A good QA manager should be lazy, think in terms of the supply chain, and be willing to stand up to management, according to food technologist and consultant IJsbrand Velzeboer. The ‘bureaucratic’ audits quality managers have to deal with are a constant source of frustration for him. “At its core, it comes down to retailers not trusting manufacturers.”

Whenever IJsbrand Velzeboer (1953) sees a piece of stainless steel, his heart immediately starts beating faster. His love for the food industry actually began in machine engineering, where he ended up after studying food technology first at HAS (“they kicked me out after three years”) and later at the Dairy School in Bolsward (“good times again”). These days – well past his retirement age – he runs his company Scienta Nova, providing all-round food safety consultancy. He supports manufacturers with food safety issues and audits, trains current and future QA managers, and occasionally appears as an expert on the television program Keuringsdienst van Waarde (a Dutch television program that investigates food products and consumer goods).

Despite his packed schedule, IJsbrand still manages to make time for an interview with Vakblad Voedingsindustrie. It turns into a conversation about the perfect QA manager and unconventional measures during audits. Along the way, we are treated to one anecdote after another: about trying to smuggle a jar of brown bean brine out of a factory for a chemistry experiment at school (and getting caught), crossing a frozen ditch to prove it really was possible to access an industrial site, falsified audit documents, bribing QA managers, QA managers in tears, and the Wedgwood tableware belonging to pickle king Oos Kesbeke.

In your view, the ideal QA manager is preferably ‘extremely lazy.’ Why is that?

“A good quality manager is, above all, someone who maintains a strong overview, knows how to delegate, and – figuratively speaking – does nothing more than pour coffee for the auditor. Take traceability, for example. Ultimately, it lands on the QA manager’s desk, but in reality it’s the responsibility of the purchasing and sales departments. If they have traceability properly organized, all you need to do is connect those systems to get the full picture. The technical department; same story – if you have well-trained staff carrying out preventive maintenance on a regular basis, the QA manager barely needs to worry about it. And if possible, let management present the reviews during a food safety audit.”

But I imagine reality is far more complicated than that.

“Absolutely. In the real world, QA managers are often left to handle things on their own. And besides, even if the ideal QA manager is lazy, that doesn’t mean he or she shouldn’t be involved. I call it management by walking around. Do the people on the production floor understand what they’re doing? Are they enjoying their work? Those are key questions for a quality manager. Listen to people and offer advice where needed. Be visible on the work floor; get out of your cubicle. Unfortunately, that last part is becoming increasingly difficult because of those time-consuming audits.”

Why do those audits take up so much time?

“For several reasons. Retailers used to join forces now and then, but these days every single one wants its own food safety certification. So one week you’ll have Jumbo’s auditor showing up with a pile of food safety documents that need to be completed – not to mention all the supporting evidence and reports that have to be submitted – and the next week Aldi or McDonald’s is at the door with yet another stack of paperwork. It’s pure job creation. Some retailers also keep secret what exactly they intend to check – very childish. And auditors sometimes overstep the line. Of course manufacturers must comply with the law and guarantee food safety, but I once saw an auditor using a dental pick to pry loose a sealant edge. That’s when I step in. On top of that, the cost of such an audit can easily run into tens of thousands of euros. A corrupt business model, if you ask me. At its core, it comes down to retailers not trusting manufacturers. If there’s a solid relationship built on trust, you don’t need all that bureaucracy. And honestly, there’s nothing wrong with misleading auditors a little. I even cover that in my training sessions.”

That sounds risky. How do you go about it?

“Turn on the charm; ‘it’s so good to see you!’. And if the factory is a mess, you first steer the auditor toward the packaging department, although a seasoned auditor will see right through that. You can also lie outright, though I wouldn’t recommend it. I believe in the ‘white lie’: you should tell the truth, but you don’t have to tell the whole truth. As a QA manager, you don’t have to be holier than the Pope, but integrity is important.”

One of the key competencies you expect from a QA manager is thinking in terms of the supply chain. Is that happening enough?

“No, unfortunately not. Quality starts with the country of origin. So if you want a complete picture of food safety, you need to know where raw materials are sourced. Are they coming from heavily polluted Mumbai? Then test those raw materials for heavy metals and pesticides. Importing sunflower oil from Ukraine? Right now it’s one of the world’s largest users of explosives, so carry out additional nitrate testing. All it takes is sending a sample to the lab, and for a few dozen euros you’re done. It never hurts to read the newspaper once in a while either, especially given the current geopolitical climate. Risk-based thinking is absolutely essential these days. And don’t forget to map out storage conditions. For example, don’t store oatmeal next to detergents, because within two months the fragrances will seep into the oat fat fraction.”

‘Start with a good flashlight – with that, you’ll spot every mouse dropping underneath a pallet’

“You also need a sharp eye on the end of the chain. Transportation, for example: if eggs are shipped over longer distances on pallets, make sure there’s ventilation underneath them, otherwise mold will develop. The same applies to coffee and grains: those containers are often packed in tropical temperatures. If a hole accidentally forms in the container and a rainstorm passes over it, you risk condensation forming, which can lead to dangerous mold toxins. By the way, there are very accessible tools for an initial screening of certain toxic risks. You can shine an ultraviolet lamp on an incoming batch. If anything lights up brightly, a sample definitely needs to go to the lab. And start with a good flashlight – with that, you’ll spot every mouse dropping hiding underneath a pallet.”

Besides supply chain knowledge and useful tools, a solid understanding of food itself must also be essential for a QA manager…

“Absolutely. If you come from the cosmetics industry, you can’t just walk into a soup factory. Practical knowledge of technology and processes is essential. At the very least, the basics: what are the properties of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals? And what happens when you start tinkering with them? A broad network is often the solution when your own knowledge falls short. I certainly don’t know everything either, but for most questions I can rely on former trainees – much more reliable than AI.”

What challenges do QA managers face?

“Rejecting a batch takes a lot of courage. Try telling your director that a large and expensive batch of salmon just fails to meet safety standards. You have to be able to stand your ground, even if your director is a bully. Difficult conversations come with the job. And if management decides not to listen, you need to protect yourself legally, even if it’s just with an email or something similar. Because sometimes the QA manager unfairly ends up taking the fall, for example in the case of a recall. Even when he or she did raise the alarm.”

How do you keep the job enjoyable when management’s anger is always lurking in the background?

“With humor. It creates balance. Never become sarcastic – that’s a warning sign for a burnout. I meet far too many QA managers dealing with stress, often because they don’t dare to say ‘no.’ And it helps if you’re someone who gets along with everyone. In the end, the real art is satisfying both the auditor and the director, haha! Can I actually say that in the interview?”

Main photo: © Foto Hissink