1. Curriculum Vitae
Daniel Nitu
25m West from Maria Pacheco school, Alajuela, Alajuela , Costa Rica
Mobile: 07824887587
E-Mail: daniel_nitu@yahoo.com
An experienced customer focused quality assuror with strong organizational and communication
skills, commercially minded with maturity, comfortable working alone or as part of a team.
Enthusiastic and hard working with energy and drive, demonstrated by strong academic
qualifications I have.
E X P E R I E N C E
Katsouris Fresh Food – Bakkavor Groupe March 2011 – Oct 2015
Katsouris Fresh Foods was a family-run business which was acquired by Bakkavör Group in
2001 a leading international producer of fresh prepared foods and produce in 10 different
countries.
Presently Katsouris fresh foods supplies ethnic snacks, ready meals and ready to cook meals
to top UK retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsburys.
Quality Manager
My role as QM is to ensure that all areas of the factory, documentation and procedures are in
line with BRC standards and customer code of practice.
Reporting directly to Technical Manager main duties are:
o To manage the quality function including motivation/discipline of QA staff and
ensuring morale is maintained. This includes ensuring that the required QA
training is upto date and ensuring that their auditing standards are maintained by
spending time out in the factory with each QA developing their auditing skills.
o To ensure that all products are manufactured in accordance with the customer
specification and meets all defined quality parameters.
o Undertake a range of activities and work closely with the sustainability team. This
will include drafting guidance, making recommendations, reviewing policy and
procedure, and researching new initiatives.
o Monitoring factory cleaning and hygiene, communicating recommendations and
results to the cleaning and production teams to ensure that standards are met
and microbiological targets are achieved.
2. o Ensuring that specifications both of incoming raw materials and packaging meet
the agreed specification. Where materials fail to conform, identify the problem
and restrict the non-conforming product recommending remedial action and/or
disposal to ensure that standards of quality and safety are maintained.
o To ensure that all product testing (microbiological, chemical and organoleptic) is
carried out in accordance with the schedules, and to ensure that all products
manufactured are fully traceable from start to finish and that regular checks are
carried out to ensure compliance.
o To work with the pest control contractor to ensure that all customer requirements
are met and that any corrective action required is promptly and properly
completed.
o Ensuring that procedures check regimes and records are maintained accurately
and fully to assure technical approval by all customers and adherence to
accredited third party’s standards (BRC).
o To assist with customer visits ensuring that all relevant documentation is available
and is up to date. To ensure any action points agreed are followed through and
completed satisfactorily within the agreed timescales.
o Liaise with customers and suppliers at technical level, maintaining at all times a
good relationship with customer
o To ensure that the external calibration schedule of large equipment is
maintained.
o To make recommendations for improvements and updates to all procedures and
documents held within the quality manual, QA, factory methods and procedures.
o Manage customer complaints and provide innovative support in order to
minimize the risk of reoccurrence.
Maison Blanc Ltd July 2010 – March 2011
An authentic French Boulangerie, Patisserie and Chocolaterie which supply products for its
own 14 shops and for some of the UK finest food companies such as Waitrose, Sainsbury’s
and Starbucks. In 2010 has joined Kout Food Group (KFG) which includes Burger King, Pizza
Hut, Kitchen Italia and Applebees.
Quality AssuranceTechnician
My role as QA Technician was to ensure products were manufactured at high quality
standards and in line with BRC requirements.
Reporting directly to Technical Manager the main duties were;
3. o Managing Starbuks KPI’s.
o Internal auditing and GMP trending.
o Ensuring Traceability system in place.
o Ensuring product quality and safety for both High Care and Low Risk areas.
o Internal audits (GMP , Glass, Hygiene, maintenance of premises and equipment) of
both process and procedures in place.
o Reporting any non- conformances to all departments.
o Products micro sampling, equipment and personnel swabbing.
o Involved in improvement of process and procedures in place.
o Ensuring right labelling of products packed during the shift are correct.
o Dealing with supplier complaints and non-conformities.
o Monitoring Hygiene and ensuring that a clean as you go is followed and good
standards of hygiene are maintained throughout.
The Cookie Man Ltd December 2009- July 2010
A specialist bakery and confectionary products supplying important retailers in the UK such
as Waitrose , Sainsbury’s, Cooperative and other small bakery shops.
Lead Quality Controller managing a team of five quality controllers
My role as Team Leader was to motivate the QC’s team and ensure that all products were
manufactured within the customer quality standards.
Reporting directly to Quality Manager Assistant the main duties were:
o Managing a team of five QC’s.
o Closely monitoring new product lunches together with NPD.
o Monitoring Hygiene and ensuring that a clean as you go is followed and good
standards of hygiene are maintained throughout.
o Managing internal auditing schedule.
o Responsible for full and detailed written and verbal handover to following shift.
o Ensuring that allergen controls are adhered to throughout the entire process.
o Active interaction with other departments within the business keeping them
fully aware of any issues as they arose.
o An active member of both the internal audit (GMP, Glass and Plastic, CCP’s)
and HACCP teams.
o Daily end product labelling and coding checks.
o Product taste panels.
Bombay Halwa Ltd October 2008- May 2009
A specialist of Indian main meals, desserts and accompaniments, supplying to famous airlines
such as British Airways, Air India and Virgin airlines.
Quality Controller - High Care Ready meals, chilledproducts, aviation catering,
yoghurt and sweets section.
4. My role was to ensure that all areas of the factory and documentation were in line with BRC
standards, Organic Soil Association standards, Customer standards and Environmental Health
standards, including the standards for raw milk usage. I worked closely with the Operations,
Sales & Purchasing teams and Hygiene Department to ensure there was 100% compliance in
food safety matters.
Reporting directly to the Technical Manager the main duties included:
o Daily raw material checking against specification, communicating any rejections
through to the commercial teams and taking the necessary actions.
o Weight control and scale calibrating, temperature checking and monitoring, (products
temperature, chillers and fridges)
o Daily end product labelling and coding checks, temperature checking of all products
before final despatch.
o Controlling personal hygiene of food handlers, ATP swabbing and micro sampling
o An active member of both the internal audit and HACCP teams.
o Organoleptic testing
o Active interaction with other departments within the business keeping them fully
aware of any issues as they arose.
During my time at Bombay Halwa I developed a firm understanding of QA/QC protocols
which complimented the theory aspects of my Msc. Using good communication and
diplomacy skills I was able to communicate the issues to the business in a firm but clear
way.
Various jobs in the UK to help fund my degree course
City Abseiling Ltd Painter Oct 2007- Sept 2008
Haslemere Ltd Painter and decorator May 2007- Sept 2007
Aldis Calarasi (Romania) May 2006-January2007
One of the largest meat processing factories in Romania producing salami, sausages, ham,
gammon and pastrami to some of the biggest retailers in Romania such as Carrefour, Metro,
and Kaufland as well as to the local market and is own 30 shops around the country.
Production QualityController
My role within the quality department was to ensure compliance to standards, establishing
trends, taking appropriate actions to deal with any adverse trends and to identify areas for
improvement.
Reporting directly to the Quality Manager the main duties included:
5. o Daily intake raw material checking against specification from the slaughter house,
communicating any issues back to the slaughter house team.
o Daily sampling and checking of production at each stage of the manufacturing
process, identifying the ‘pinch points’ for quality and taking the appropriate action.
o Ensuring all out of specification results from the factory floor were actioned and
communicated to the relevant departments
o I also ensured that all duties associated with product safety, as directed by the Quality
Manager were carried out involving some administration tasks.
o I also checked the temperature at each stage of the manufacturing process, factory
and employee hygiene and was part of the food safety internal audit team.
Charemseal Ltd Nov 2004-Oct 2005
Double glazing fitter
My role here was to fix and install the window panels and coordinating the daily tasks at Liverpool
and Manchester sites, as required by the building site.
I was reporting to the site foreman.
Withers Fruit Farm July 2002-August 2004
Team Leader and Camp administrator
My role here was, as a team leader to ensure the high quality of picked fruits (strawberries)
and coordinating the field work of 26 people providing those clear instructions, plus keeping
record of daily work in order to calculate their wages.
As a camp supervisor I had the role of keeping the camp clean and safe at high standards of
living, and arranging GP appointments for students also once a week drove them to
shopping.
I was reporting to the Farm Manager and the Farm owner.
The farm supply fresh fruits, strawberries and apples to Wye Fruit pack house who operates
quality control, lids and labels products and operates 7 days a week for the major
supermarkets across the UK.
6. Improved the efficiency and quality of field work
Managed 26 people
Increased the quantity of picked fruits by closely monitoring the picking process
E D U C A T I O N
Courses attended:
2014
Spanish language – level two (initial dos) – Instituto Cervantes, London UK.
Training Certificade- MANAGEMENT OF ALLERGENS in line with M&S code of practice.
2013
7. Certificate of Attendance— Sainsbury’s TMA Workshop D- Allergen Management.
Training Certificate – M&S Hygiene Code of Practice.
2008
Intermediate Certificate in Applied HACCP Principles.
2000-2001
Professional development and training on drug research at ICCF Bucuresti( Institutul de
Cercetare Chimico Farmaceutica Bucuresti= Chemical and Pharmacologic Research Institute of
Bucharest)
there I was studying the methods of drug manufacturing and the methods of controlling the
production parameters e.g. pH, air flow, viscosity, type of bioreactors used in production and
so on.
Universities Attended
2007-2010
South Bank University of London, Msc Food Safety and Control
Units studied included
Advanced Food Composition
Food Legislation(EU and UK)
Food Microbiology & Hygiene
Food Control Operations
Research Methods
New Product Development Management
Practical Food Safety and Control
Quality Management
1998-2004
University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest Romania – Degree
in Industrial Biotechnological Engineering
Here the main subjects studied were:
Genetic
Biochemistry
Enzimology
Methods of cell cultivation
Microbiology
Chemistry
Fermentation process in food and drink industry.
1993-1997
High School- Stirbei-Voda Calarasi, Romania – certificate of biochemist lab technician
P E R S O N A L D E T A I L S
Nationality: British and Romanian Interests: quality, reading, cooking, and
swimming.
