Interview
Why did you choose the Master’s programme in Food Science?
I studied for a Bachelor’s degree in Biology at the University of Essen. By the time I was writing my Bachelor’s thesis, I had realised that I would prefer to work in industry – in other words, in a more application-oriented and less research-oriented role. I had always wanted to do a Master’s degree, so I simply looked to see which Master’s programmes would fit in with my Bachelor’s degree. I searched specifically for programmes in North Rhine-Westphalia via a website, and the Master’s in Food Science was suggested to me there. I’ve always been interested in food, so I got in touch with Professor Kugler, the programme director. We made personal contact relatively quickly, and during a meeting with him in Kleve, we worked out together whether the requirements would fit with my previous studies. That was the case, so I enrolled. My two most important criteria were that the Master’s programme built on my Bachelor’s degree and that the link to business and industry was an integral part of the course. Both of these were well catered for at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. I have definitely not regretted my decision to do the Master’s so far. Thanks to the smaller groups, the atmosphere was much more informal, and the laboratories were equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
What happened next in your career after you graduated?
From the very start, the modules were taught by professors or by people who had also worked in industry. This gave you a good insight into what was possible and whether you could see yourself doing that. In the first semester, ‘Quality and Safety’ was the module that appealed to me most. It became clear to me quite early on that I’d like to work in quality management. Professor Kugler put me in touch with NB Manufaktur back then, and that’s where I completed my internship in the third semester and wrote my Master’s thesis. I was subsequently taken on by the company.
You work in quality assurance at NB Manufaktur GmbH & Co. KG. What does your job involve?
NB Manufaktur in Bottrop is a former site of Homann Feinkost GmbH. We produce delicatessen salads – such as coleslaw, meat, pasta or potato salads – and are part of the Wernsing Food Family.
I handle supplier and specification management and act as deputy to our quality manager. This also makes me the deputy IFS representative. IFS is a standard required by the retail sector, and almost every major food company now seeks IFS certification. It is a very extensive catalogue of requirements setting out all the guidelines the company must implement. A great deal depends on IFS certification, which is why there must always be an officer to coordinate the implementation of the requirements.
I originally started in the raw materials department, carrying out the incoming inspections. Everything else has developed gradually from there. I’ve learnt where and when to draw up specifications, I handle communication with suppliers, and I now also carry out supplier audits to check that our requirements are being met. As we are a production facility, I am also involved in the entire production process. If you want to maintain quality and standards, you inevitably have to deal with all the other departments (e.g. production, scheduling, planning) and, as we are a small company, my range of responsibilities is very wide.
What do you particularly like about your job?
Working in quality assurance is very varied – there isn’t a week that goes by without learning something new or facing new challenges: whether it’s implementing new (customer) requirements or dealing with a deviation in production. Compared to working in research, I like the fact that at the end of the day you’re holding a product in your hands whose quality you’ve helped to ensure. What’s more, I can work very independently in my role and contribute my own ideas and suggestions.
What knowledge did you gain during your studies that you can put to good use in your job today?
It struck me again recently that the knowledge we were taught during our studies was actually very practical. We ran part of the ‘Development and Sensory Analysis’ module at our company this semester, so the students came to us on three occasions. When I looked through my old product development documents for this, I realised once again that there’s actually a lot in there that we really do here in practice every day.
The “Microbiology” module we did on the Master’s course has also been a great help to me. In that module, we looked at different groups of raw materials, and that gave me a good sense of what’s important for which product groups in my job. From a microbiological point of view, delicatessen products are very complex because they contain many different raw materials with varying requirements as ingredients.
What advice would you give to current and future students?
I think you shouldn’t be too narrow-minded about where you want to work later on. In the food industry in particular, it might seem obvious that you’d want to work for a company that makes products you consume yourself every day or really like. Delicatessen products aren’t something I initially said, ‘That’s where my heart lies.’ It’s actually something I don’t consume in my daily life, but for work it’s just really exciting (certainly much more exciting than chocolate or the like :-)). So it helps to be open-minded, even to products other than those you have in your fridge every day. Of course, you’re still allowed to have your ‘no-gos’ – I wouldn’t want to work in a slaughterhouse, for example. But often things are much more interesting than you might initially think, so you shouldn’t limit yourself too much in advance.
In three words, how would you describe Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences?
Modern, practical, friendly.
Date of interview: November 2023