Career Profiles of some Food Technologists
Michelle Lucke
Working as: PROCESS IMPROVEMENT TECHNOLOGIST at Heinz Watties Ltd
Age: 24
Earning: $45,000+
In a nutshell: “I’m a ‘jack of all trades’ – I work on all kinds of issues and problems that come up in the factory.”
Why food technology?
“What I like best about this job is the contact with a wide variety of people. No-one could ever get bored in this job!”
Up until halfway through 7th form (year 13) I was planning to do a double degree in science and business. Then my careers advisor at school showed me some info on the Food Technology degree at Massey, and I thought to myself “I LOVE food, this must the degree for me.”
What really got me interested was the fact that it was a practical degree with strong linkages to industry, and knowing that Food Techies were in big demand. Once I read the info on the degree and got some more info from Massey, something just ‘clicked’ and I knew that this was the right career for me.
My job
My job title is “Process Improvement Technologist”, and basically I’m a ‘jack of all trades’.
 I work for Heinz Wattie’s NZ Ltd and I’m based at the Tomoana Recipe factory in Hastings. Our factory makes all the ‘non-canned’ products, such as soups and sauces in pouches, frozen meals (like Weight Watchers and Patak’s brands), jams (Craig’s and Pam’s), salad dressings and the single serve butter, jams and sauces used in restaurants and hotels.
My position is factory based and I spend about 60-70% of my time on the factory floor doing a variety of tasks. I always have several process improvements projects which I manage, as well as the following things:
• The day to day running of the lines
• Resolving quality issues
• Problem solving
• Staff training
• Assisting with new product and process development
• Investigating customer complaints.
The best thing about this job is the wide variety of people you get to work with - factory workers, engineers, management, suppliers and customers. No two days are ever the same, and I encounter different challenges every day.
At the moment a big challenge for us is trying to get our jam to set properly without being runny or too firm. Each season the fruit has different levels of ‘pectin’ which affects how the jam sets. Where it is grown, when it is picked and how it is processed all makes a difference.
A day in the life
I normally arrive at work before 8am. I then quickly check my emails and make a list of all the things that I need to get done that day, although this normally gets considerably bigger as the day goes on.
We have a production meeting at 8:30 to go over the previous day’s production and discuss any issues etc. At 9am I usually go for a walk through all the lines that I’m responsible for, talking with the workers and seeing how production is going for the day.
After that I go up to the ‘Finished Product Assessment Lab’ and check any issues from the previous day’s production. The rest of my day is spent working on project and problem solving meetings, and resolving issues as they come up on the lines. My day usually finishes around 5pm, although sometimes it can be much later.
Lessons learnt along the way
The biggest lessons I’ve learnt is that the best solution to a problem is often not the first one you come up with, and you’re unlikely to come up with the perfect solution by yourself – project teams which involve a wide variety of people are very beneficial.
To do this job you need to be hard-working, efficient, have good time management skills, be able to communicate with a wide variety of people, be able to think laterally and be a creative problem solver.
I have to ‘think outside the square’ a lot of the time to come up with workable solutions to production issues. We often have the pressure of time, so if something breaks down we might have to improvise a solution to get the line running again until we can find/implement a permanent solution.
Advice for others?
Be prepared to work hard; a career in the food industry is not an easy option, but in my opinion the rewards are definitely worth it. This is not a career where you can just come to work, work eight hours, and then go home and forget about it. You have to have a passion for the industry, and your job.
Doing a BTech degree at Massey is good preparation, and working within the food industry during the summer holidays ensures you’re prepared for the ‘real world’ once you graduate.
Rally driving
My main interest outside of work is rallying. I’ve co-driven in rallies for seven years (mainly gravel, but one or two tarmac events each year). During winter I do at least one rally per month and several rally sprints as well.
The mechanical knowledge I‘ve gained from preparing and repairing cars has definitely helped in my job. I have mechanical aptitude that not many others at my age and in my position have. It also helps me to understand and communicate easily with the engineers, and because I have a better understanding of the situation I am generally able to offer useful solutions to engineering/mechanical issues.
(Profile courtesy of Futureintech – www.futureintech.com).
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CAREER PROFILES
Real people talk about their jobs in food science, technology & engineering (courtesy of Futureintech: www.futureintech.com):
  Simon Loveday, Food Research Scientist for The Riddet Institute, Palmerston North.
 Harriet Gibbs, Process Manager for multinational dairy processor Fonterra, Edendale, Southland.
 Michelle Lucke, Process Improvement Technologist for prepared foods manufacturer, Heinz Watties, Tomoana, Hastings.
 Ben Sutherland, Product Development Technologist for healthy snack manufacturer Mother Earth Foods, Auckland.
 Anna Smith, Development Technologist for milk and dairy foods processor Fonterra Brands NZ.
 Andrew Hutton, Product Development Technologist for prepared foods manufacturer Heinz Wattie's, Hastings.
More profiles of careers in food technology at Futureintech: www.futureintech.com. |
SUCCESS STORIES
People who have made successful and interesting careers in food science, technology & engineering:
Kay McMath, a food scientist who has specialised in sensory evaluation, particularly in dairy products, becoming a leading judge at the NZ Ice Cream Awards, Massey Food Awards, and Juice & Beverage Awards.
Dr Chris Bloore, a food engineer specialising in milkpowder production, but also heavily involved in process automation and project management.
Dick Hubbard, an early food technology graduate who went on to become a household name, through his Hubbards range of breakfast cereals, and as mayor of our largest city. | |
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