Partner Spotlight

We would like you to meet Anu Bernier who has been with FSS for just over 2 years now.

Anu holds a Masters in Plant Biology from U of A. She has over 12 years of cumulative experience in quality assurance and over 8 years of industry experience implementing food safety systems in various industries such as pet food manufacturing, dairy processing, bakery, confectionery and cannabis. Since beginning her consulting career, Anu has worked with many new commodities including beverages, honey and milling.

Anu has significant experience implementing GFSI standards like BRCGS, SQF and FSSC 22000. She engages with her clients to understand their needs and helps them achieve their goals, while maintaining compliance to the required standard.

Let’s get to know Anu a little better:

What was your first job in the food industry?

I worked as a Quality Assurance Analyst in the pet food industry. I was pleasantly surprised to learn the stringent requirements of food safety in the pet food world. It made sense to me that the risk of foodborne illness to the animal can be a major risk, and additionally, the chance for kibble to be consumed by a child can also be very high, as the child has plenty of access to it when served in the pet’s feeding bowl.

What is the furthest you’ve had to travel for this job?

As of today flying to Vancouver BC is the longest flight, however in the next few months I am travelling to the deep pockets of the United States to conduct internal audits for some new FSS clients – I will be getting to work in North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas!

What is your favourite prerequisite program?

Sanitation. I believe that food safety begins from a hygienic starting point. Especially when you are manufacturing in a large quantity for the public to consume. I like working with chemical specialists and learning how different chemicals work for different industries depending on the nature of the product. Additionally, I have a keen eye for cleanliness; even at home – unfortunately, my husband’s efforts at dishwashing are often audited by me!

Please share a top consulting client success story:

I find great joy in getting my clients successfully certified in the program of their choice – I literally celebrate it with some home baking! It is tough to single out any one client, but there is this one story about a corporate client that I conducted internal audits for. I was involved with only one of their sites originally, however, after working with them on their internal audits, the company requested us to do internal audits at 4 additional sites. It is the best feeling when a company recognizes the integrity, rigour, and ethics that we bring to every job. 

What is your food safety superpower?

Simplicity. I am often presented with clients who have a food safety program, but then tell me that their program is not working. Most of the time it is not working because they have a complicated program. For instance, they have 15-page procedures that can be streamlined into 2-3 pages, or they have complicated forms or records that line employees find confusing. This is where I put on my superwoman cape and customize the programs to what is really required and more easily managed. 

What keeps you going outside of work?

I recharge myself with my family. We love biking, hiking, and camping. We went bike-packing once locally and we all loved it, including the kids (age 1 and 3). I would love to go bike-packing in New Zealand one day!