Food manufacturing
10 food safety and FSMA compliance experts
These ten professionals have led food safety and quality programs, with titles such as director of food safety and quality, and profiles that cite FSMA, PCQI or preventive controls expertise. A reader can learn how companies build food safety plans, meet FSMA preventive controls requirements and prepare for audits and certifications such as SQF.
Professionals to explore
01—10Alarice De Leon
LinkedInExperience: Quality, Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance Head · The Purefoods-Hormel Company Inc.
Quality, Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance Head at The Purefoods-Hormel Company Inc. since 2021, after Night Operations and Sanitation Head (2020–2021) and QMS and Food Safety Specialist (2014–2020) there. The profile describes knowledge of meat processing, GMP, prerequisite programs, quality and food safety systems, plant sanitation and pest control, and says Alarice De Leon is a certified Preventive Controls Qualified Individual.
Azad Lakhani
LinkedInExperience: Lead Instructor FSPCA PCQI, SQF Practitioner, Food Safety, QA & Compliance Director · Brolite Products, Inc.
Lead Instructor FSPCA PCQI, SQF Practitioner, Food Safety, QA & Compliance Director at Brolite Products, Inc. since 2011; his profile describes him as Lead Instructor for the FSPCA Human Food Course V2.0 and Primary SQF Practitioner. He also lists Director, Food Safety, QA, & Regulatory Compliance for food ingredients dry blends manufacturing since 2012.
Carlos Pinto Petrocelli
LinkedInExperience: Sr. Regional Food Safety and QA Manager · Ventura Foods
Sr. Regional Food Safety and QA Manager at Ventura Foods since 2025, after Regional Food Safety & QA Manager there (2022–2025). His profile describes him as an SQF Practitioner and FSMA PCQI professional who develops and executes food safety risk reduction and quality improvement strategies through managing global teams. He was Plant Quality Manager at McCormick & Company (2019–2022).
Craig Verhoff
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Food Safety Quality Assurance · Legacy Foods Manufacturing
Vice President of Food Safety Quality Assurance at Legacy Foods Manufacturing since October 2025 and Senior Director of Food Safety and Quality at MSI Express since 2012, both listed as current. He was Regional Manager Quality and Food Safety at Hearthside Food Solutions (2009–2012). His profile lists PCQI FSMA certification, HACCP Manager certification and SQF Level 3 Practitioner.
Krista Smalley
LinkedInExperience: Director, Food Safety & Quality Assurance · Vital Midwest LLC (dba BB Nash)
Director, Food Safety & Quality Assurance at Vital Midwest LLC (dba BB Nash) since February 2026. She was Corporate Quality Director (formerly Corporate Quality Manager) at Novipax (2023–2026), Quality Assurance Manager at Conifer Foods (2021–2023) and Quality Assurance Manager at OBI Seafoods, LLC (2020–2022). Her profile headline lists SQF practitioner and GFSI implementation work alongside HACCP, FSMA and PCQI in multi-site regulated manufacturing.
Melissa McCullough
LinkedInExperience: Director of Food Safety & Quality · Woodstock Farms Manufacturing
Director of Food Safety & Quality at Woodstock Farms Manufacturing, a role listed as current, and Director of Quality Assurance & Food Safety at Woodstock Farms from 2011 to 2025. Her profile describes leading food safety operations in high-risk manufacturing environments and building and scaling compliance programs that exceed SQF and FSMA standards.
Pooi Yin Phang
LinkedInExperience: Director of Food Safety and Quality · Bettera Brands LLC
Director of Food Safety and Quality at Bettera Brands LLC (2016–2019) and Director of Quality and Regulatory at Mommy's Bliss (2021–2025), and Food Safety & Compliance Manager (Contractor) at Impossible Foods (2020–2021). The profile headline lists FSMA PCQI, GFSI, supplier and food safety risk management and FDA compliance (21 CFR 111/117) among areas of focus.
Ramzy A.
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Food Safety and Quality · Lodi Canning Company
Former Vice President of Food Safety and Quality at Lodi Canning Company (2023–2026), after Food Safety and Quality Director there (2022–2023). His profile describes establishing and managing quality management systems in FDA- and USDA-regulated food manufacturing environments, with expertise in SQF, HACCP, FSMA and FDA/USDA regulations. He was Food Safety and Quality supervisor at Link Snacks (2013–2021).
Thida Paing
LinkedInExperience: Director Food Safety and Quality · L. H. Hayward & Co., LLC
Director Food Safety and Quality at L. H. Hayward & Co., LLC since 2025, with earlier roles as Senior Quality Assurance Manager at Orion Foods Systems (2020–2022) and QA manager at Lieb Foods (2017–2018). The profile describes food safety, quality and regulatory management in food manufacturing across bakery, beverage, dairy, USDA meat, acidified foods and other categories, and lists PCQI, SQF and HACCP certifications.
Ximena Gonzalez
LinkedInExperience: Director of Food Safety and Quality · Naturipe Farms
Director of Food Safety and Quality at Naturipe Farms since April 2026, after Senior Manager of Food Safety & Quality (2025–2026) and Food Safety Manager (2017–2025) there. Her profile lists work across GAPs, GMPs, HACCP, GFSI and the FSMA PC Rule (PCQI) and PSR for fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, and says she is in charge of FSVP. She was Food Safety QA Manager at Misionero Vegetables (2015–2016).
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's product category and scope to yours, since fresh produce, canned or frozen foods, meat processing and dry ingredients raise different hazards and FSMA rules. Plant and regional managers suit questions about day-to-day controls, while directors and vice presidents suit questions about multi-site programs and certification strategy.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How did you build and validate your preventive controls food safety plan, and what did FDA or auditors challenge most?
- 02How do you manage supplier approval and verification, including foreign supplier requirements, without slowing purchasing?
- 03What changed in your environmental monitoring, sanitation or records when you prepared for an SQF or other GFSI audit?
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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