Microbiologist

Role: Microbiologist Dairy Products & QA/R&D Support

Target Experience: 2–3 Years

Function: Microbial Profiling, Culture Management, Plant Hygiene & Shelf-Life Validation

Core Responsibilities

• Microbial Testing & Quality Control: Perform routine and batch-release microbiological analysis on raw milk, in-process samples, and finished dairy products (milk, paneer, curd/dahi, cheese, ghee).
• Pathogen & Spoilage Detection: Screen for indicator organisms and pathogens including Total Plate Count (TPC), Coliforms, E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, as well as yeast and mold counts.
• Culture Management & Fermentation: Maintain, propagate, and monitor starter and probiotic cultures for fermented dairy lines; verify activity, viability, and acidification kinetics.
• Plant Hygiene & Environmental Monitoring: Conduct line swabbing (tanks, pipes, homogenizers, fillers, packaging surfaces), hand swabs, and air settle-plate tests to validate CIP (Clean-in-Place) and sanitization efficacy.
• Shelf-Life & Challenge Testing: Design accelerated and real-time microbial challenge studies to determine product stability, post-pasteurization contamination points, and spoilage thresholds.
• Regulatory Compliance & Audits: Ensure lab protocols align with FSSAI regulations, ISO 22000, FSMS, and HACCP standards; maintain daily calibration and testing logs for audit readiness.

Candidate Profile & Qualifications

• Education: B.Sc, M.Sc, or B.Tech in Microbiology, Food Microbiology, Dairy Microbiology, or Food Technology.

• Technical Experience (2–3 Years):

• Practical laboratory experience in an operating dairy processing facility or certified food testing lab.

• Strong hands-on proficiency in serial dilutions, pour plating, streak plating, Gram staining, and biochemical identification.

• Experience handling rapid microbial test kits, autoclaves, laminar flow hoods, and incubation monitoring.

• Key Skills: Aseptic technique, pathogen isolation, root-cause investigation for high bacterial/coliform counts, CIP validation, and FSSAI analytical standards.