Tharun Puli

About you

I am a Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) Supervisor at Pilgrim's Pride Corporation, a JBS USA company, working in a USDA-regulated prepared foods facility in Waco, Texas.

In my current role, I lead FSQA operations by supervising QA technicians and overseeing pre-operational inspections, HACCP, SSOPs, GMP compliance, allergen controls, product specifications, labelling verification, corrective actions, and product hold-and-release activities.

I work closely with USDA inspection personnel on a daily basis to ensure continuous regulatory compliance and product safety. I also collaborate with production, sanitation, maintenance, and plant leadership teams to investigate non-conformances, implement corrective and preventive actions, and maintain a strong food safety culture.

I actively support BRCGS certification audits, USDA-FSIS regulatory inspections, internal audits, customer audits, and food safety verification activities, helping maintain audit readiness through documentation review, sanitation verification, risk assessment, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement initiatives.

I earned a Master of Science in Food Science from Texas Tech University with a 4.00 GPA, where I specialised in meat science, food safety, microbiology, HACCP, and regulatory compliance. My professional experience spans prepared poultry, federally inspected meat processing, dairy manufacturing, chilled food production, and food safety research.

Outside of work, I enjoy keeping up to date with developments in food safety, mentoring others, and continually developing my technical and leadership skills.

Why did you join the BRCGS Professional Programme?

I joined the BRCGS Professional Programme to further strengthen my knowledge of inter-nationally recognised food safety and quality management systems.

As an FSQA Supervisor, I am responsible for helping ensure that food safety programmes are effectively implemented and consistently followed throughout daily plant operations.

The programme provides a structured pathway for developing expertise in auditing, risk assessment, validation and verification, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and continuous improvement. It also supports my goal of aligning plant-level food safety practices with global industry standards.

What value do you personally feel the BRCGS Professional certification brings to you?

The BRCGS Professional recognition strengthens my professional credibility and demonstrates my commitment to continuous learning and excellence in food safety and quality assurance.

It also gives me access to a global network of professionals who share knowledge, experiences, and best practices. The programme has helped enhance my technical expertise, leadership capabilities, risk-based decision-making, and understanding of internationally recognised food safety standards.

How has the training helped improve operations at your site/company?

The training has strengthened my ability to evaluate food safety risks, investigate non-conformances, identify root causes, and develop effective corrective and preventive actions.

It has also helped me adopt a more structured approach to pre-operational inspections, sanitation verification, HACCP implementation, internal audits, documentation review, risk assessment, and validation and verification activities.

I apply this knowledge while coaching FSQA technicians, collaborating with cross-functional teams, supporting regulatory inspections, and helping maintain audit readiness and continuous improvement within the facility.

What did you most enjoy about the training?

I most enjoyed the practical and risk-based approach of the training. The courses connected food safety principles with real manufacturing scenarios and provided methods that can be directly applied within plant operations.

I particularly valued the focus on root cause analysis, risk assessment, validation, verification, auditing, and corrective action effectiveness. These subjects are closely aligned with my daily responsibilities as an FSQA Supervisor.

What are you most looking forward to within the Professional community?

I look forward to connecting with food safety and quality professionals from different industries and countries, exchanging best practices, and learning from their experiences.

I am also interested in participating in microlearning courses, webinars, technical discussions, and professional development opportunities that will help me stay current with food safety regulations, emerging risks, auditing practices, and industry expectations.

How do you plan to keep your skills up to date?

I plan to continue developing my skills through the BRCGS Professional Programme, micro-learning courses, industry webinars, regulatory updates, professional certifications, and practical application within food manufacturing operations.

I will also continue following developments related to USDA and FDA requirements, HACCP, FSMA, BRCGS, SQF, sanitation, environmental monitoring, food defence, auditing, and risk management.

What are your career ambitions/aims?

My career ambition is to continue progressing into senior food safety and quality leadership positions within the food manufacturing industry.

I aim to lead high-performing FSQA teams, strengthen food safety culture, improve regulatory and customer compliance, and support the implementation of effective quality management systems.

In the long term, I would like to progress into roles such as FSQA Superintendent, Quality Assurance Manager, or Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance.

I also hope to use my education, operational experience, and professional certifications to contribute to safer food production and continuous improvement across the industry.