Quality Control Associate

Job Title: Quality Control Associate

Department: Quality Assurance / Production

Location: Bhubaneswar

Employment Type: Full-Time

About the Role

We are looking for a detail-oriented Quality Control Associate to oversee the quality and safety of our premium, all-natural dairy dog chews. Manufactured using a traditional hard-cheese process from Paneer (milk solids) and Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP), these long-lasting chews require strict moisture, microbial, and structural control.

In this role, you will bridge the gap between production and lab science. You will monitor the initial coagulation of SMP/paneer, track the drying and aging process, and rigorously test the final chews to ensure they meet strict pet food safety standards for hardness, moisture, and digestibility.

Key Responsibilities

1. Raw Material & Culture Management

• Input Testing: Inspect and test incoming Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP) for solubility, fat content (<1%), and protein levels.
• Coagulation Control: Monitor the acidification, heating, and coagulation processes of the milk/SMP base. Test pH and titratable acidity to ensure optimal paneer curd formation.
• Culture Monitoring: If natural fermentation is used, maintain and test starter cultures for viability and consistency to ensure the proper breakdown of lactose.

2. Process Control (Pressing & Drying)

• Moisture Extraction: Oversee the pressing phase where whey is separated from the paneer curds, ensuring the blocks achieve the correct initial density.
• Drying & Curing Validation: Monitor the dehydration, air-drying, or smoke-curing chambers. Ensure temperature and humidity are strictly controlled so the chews dry evenly without internal cracking or surface molding.

3. Finished Product Quality Assurance (The Chews)

• Physical & Structural Testing: Test the final dog chews for structural integrity, ensuring the correct density and hardness. Inspect for visual defects, deep fissures, or sharp edges that could pose a choking/dental hazard to dogs.
• Moisture & Water Activity: Validate that the final product reaches the critical control limit for water activity (aw ≤ 0.60) and moisture content (typically below 14%) to guarantee a long, mold-free shelf life.
• Proximate Analysis: Test finished batches to ensure they meet nutritional guarantees (e.g., >60% Protein, <2% Fat).
• Microbiological Safety: Conduct routine swabbing and lab assays to screen for Total Plate Count (TPC), coliforms, yeast, mold, and dangerous pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Biology, Zoology, Food Technology, or Dairy Technology.

Core Skills & Competencies

• Dairy Chemistry Knowledge: Understanding of milk proteins (casein), milk fats, and the physics of moisture migration during cheese aging.
• Lab Instrument Proficiency: Experience using moisture analyzers, water activity meters, pH meters, and basic microbiological plating.
• Keen Attention to Detail: Ability to physically grade and sort natural products that have slight variations in size, color, and texture.
• Safety First Mindset: Deep understanding of the physical and microbial risks associated with pet treats and how to mitigate them.

Working Conditions

• Requires working in a manufacturing environment that includes varying temperatures (warm coagulation rooms, dry/smoking rooms).
• Requires adherence to strict GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and wearing required PPE.

Pay: From ₹180,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person