Microbiologists at Work: Erika Bognar Erika is a Senior Food Safety Manager at Sargento Foods Inc, where she juggles good mantifacturing practices, product testing, and communications between microbiologists and corporate offices. Education: + BS Biology, Marian University, Fond du Lac, WI + MS Food Safety, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI Certifications: + ASQ, Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence FSMA-PCQI, Preventive Controls Qualified Ind vidual Innovation Center for US Dairy = Dairy Plant Food Safety Workshop, Volunteer Instructor What is Fleer Seeger cease eae their cheese. os ames aces Geel siots Mi ecmsinccl conan Kiel, Hilbert and Elkhart Lake. How did you end up at your current position? Did you always imagine food safety as a career? T ended up in my aurrent position by luck. I was not exposed to sdence opportunities within the food industry while studying for my undergrad. We were mosty focused on, and being prepped for, research, pre-professional, or medical laboratory careers. Lam privileged to live in a community heavily populated with food manufacturers, particuiarly cheese companies. My first job out of college was working for an Italian cheese making company in a QA/Microbiology role, My main responsibilities induded testing raw milk/whey/cheese and antibiotics, somatic cells, microbiology, chemistry, organoleptic attributes; as well as preparing media, swabbing and plating sanitation, and environmental controls. What is a regular day like for you? In my current role I serve as liaison to the manufacturing fadlities for sanitation/environmental monitoring and product pathogen/microbiology testing, I may spend time on the production floor working with new QA employees whom I mentor in swabbing and basic microbiology. I consult and perform walkthroughs on new line and construction projects. I service R&D and Sales as a food safety subject matter expert on new products and ‘customer education. I provide leadership to the Corporate Microbiology Laboratory and work on strategy, budgets, and testing methodology questions. I also travel and spend time particpating in requiatory, industry, and customer collaboration efforts. What is your favorite part of your job? My passion is for teaching the next generation within our organization (and beyond — within our industry), Therefore, my favorite part of the job is working with new QA and production/sanitation employees and seeing the depth of their knowledge increase in microbiology and food safety, The best part is witnessing their understanding of manufacturing and sanitation practices—as they are working through a sanitation or environmental@) jj D [est Moen eae salt, lactic acid bacteria, and eae aor oe aa) altered by additional ingredients and processing oT een Cpa aes enzyme chymosin and is eT Rrra las Tn Moe Aaa ec lame lames cheese are not known, cheese-making goes back more than 4,000 years! oF inwestigation/swabbing — when “the light bub goes on” and they can identify a root cause and make a recommendation for corrective action. What advice would you give to students who are interested in seeking industry jobs with a microbiology degree? My best advice for students is to consider incorporating some business classes into their degree, espedally if you want to pursue Supervisory or Management positions during your career. Get out there and explore internships to learn what you like and discover what companies like about you, or what opportunities for development they identify. From a recruitment standpoint 1 favor students who are well balanced between academics and work experiences, and many companies offer tuition reimbursement to further academic pursuits. Students will then have dearer perspectives on what tradk they want or need to focus on. Step out of the classroom and seek educational opportunities around regulation, food safety and best practices — FSMA, Food Safety Plans, PCQI, Auditing, Food Safety Cuiture, GFSI, etc. What's your favorite type of cheese? Four year, or older, aged cheddar!