Tim Holden has over 20 years of experience in quality assurance for food manufacturing. He has extensive expertise in microbiology, sensory analysis, process improvement, and auditing. Key achievements include mitigating consumer risk, transforming performance through consumer engagement, and decreasing quality failures by 80%. Currently seeking a quality role utilizing his skills in investigation, training, and ensuring compliance with food safety standards.

1. Page 1 of 2 Tim Holden
Tim Holden
Stowmarket, Suffolk
Email: timothyholden@yahoo.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyholden
Mobile: 0773 326 3796
Profile
An experienced Quality Assurance professional with extensive knowledge of food manufacturing
technology, QA processes, product testing and quality systems. Recognised for investigative and
troubleshooting skills and well respected for resolving quality issues through careful analysis of the
problem. Utilising own experience, harnessing the skills of other experts and suppliers to find a
mutually beneficial solution. Experienced in a diverse variety of product types from sauces, to mixes
to mustard.
Key Skills
• Laboratory - microbiology, aseptic technique, sensory science, chemical & physical QA
methodology.
• Troubleshooting - investigation/resolution of quality failures and consumer complaints.
• Process Improvement - mapping of manufacturing processes/data analysis to optimise
processing conditions and improve product quality.
• Food Processing Techniques - experience with many technologies: UHT, Pasteurisation,
Tetrapak™, Margarine, Dry Mix, Milling, Condiments, Spreads, Non Dairy Cream, Sauces,
Noodles and Bakers Sundries.
• Quality Auditing - experienced ISO9000 and UKAS auditor. Familiar with BRC and FS2200
audit process.
• Maintaining Hygiene Standards - auditing, ensuring suitability of facilities and environment.
• Providing Training - designing and delivering training material for all abilities.
• Product Benchmarking - sensory comparison with market competitors.
• Consumer Related Quality Monitors – developing and implementing quality monitors that
reflect consumer needs. Designed to highlight and drive product improvement.
• Validation of new plant and processes – validating that new machinery is capable of
manufacturing to the correct standard and can be cleaned effectively.
• Hygienic Design – minimising hygiene risks of machinery and premises.
• IT Literate - Microsoft Office Suite, SAP, Interspec and proficient with Adobe Photoshop.
• HACCP – HACCP design for new processes, review and audit of existing HACCP studies.
Key Achievements
Mitigated consumer risk - Managed a team of operatives to identify, sort and reject unsafe jars.
Safely recovered 30% of the product with zero consumer complaints.
Transformed performance - Engaged with consumers to determine their needs and with R&D to
optimise product performance - Increase in sales and decrease in complaints.
Decreased quality failures - on a hot filled, wet sauce plant and packing line by 80%. Thorough
investigations into the root cause of failures by involving line operators to generate corrective
actions.
Instigated investigation - into runny mustard issues. Determined root causes. Improved, seed
crop controls, cleaning process and mixing process. Complaints reduced by 99%.

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Reduced losses from €69,000 to €35,000 with zero consumer complaints - Black specs in
product due to heat exchanger burn on. Accurately assessed consumer acceptability, improved
cleaning process and in-line filtration.
Resolved jar sealing issues - Engaged with suppliers to improve jar and cap design. Justified
capital investment in machinery. Failure rate reduced from 35% to less than 1%.
Professional Experience
Unilever: Norwich/Colman’s – Quality Officer 2007 – 2015
Responsible for quality: 7 packing lines, 6 manufacturing plants and a seed mill.
• Performed quality auditing.
• Performed Laboratory management and training.
• Conducted investigations into consumer complaints & supplier non-conformance.
• Instigated process troubleshooting and continuous improvement.
• Consumer Related Quality Standards, training, co-ordinating improvement activities.
• Supporting R & D. New product implementation. New plant commissioning and validation
• Maintaining Calibration of equipment.
Unilever: Sensory Analyst, UK Food Central Quality Laboratory, Purfleet 1997 –2007
Part of the UK Sensory Analysis Team. Mainly supporting UK R&D organisation.
• Conducted Sensory Profiling (Quantitative Descriptive Analysis).
• Conducted Difference Testing: triangle test, 2 from 5 tests and paired difference.
• Experimental design and design of methodology.
• Data analysis and report writing.
• Managing a team of tasters. Training, scheduling workflow, prioritising tasks, maintaining
motivation.
• Maintained and expanded Consumer Related Quality Standards.
• Presenting to internal customers and developed Sensory training courses.
• Providing sensory screening and advisory service to all UK food sites. Established tasting
panels and implemented training in best practice.
Unilever: QA Technician - Needham Market. 1988 - 1996
• Performed microbiology of raw materials and finished goods.
• Undertook chemical and physical QA testing of raw materials and finished goods.
• Responsible for accurate dispensing of minor recipe ingredients.
• Investigating and resolving consumer complaints.
• Instigated quality improvement projects.
• Implementing HACCP & COSHH
• Auditing, implementation and training for ISO9000.
• Formulated Consumer Related Quality Standards and set up monitoring process.
• Supporting R&D.
Training & Qualifications
Suffolk College of Further Education (Now University Campus Suffolk).
• BTEC National Certificate in Science (Applied Biology)
• BTEC Higher National Certificate in Science (Applied Biology).
• Trained ISO Auditor (Bywater PLC)
• Advanced Food Hygiene Certificate (Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Officers).