19fbtechreview.comOCTOBER 2023Lorien Carley holds extensive quality assurance and quality control experience across numerous consumer packaged goods organizations. Starting her professional career at CSL Behring, she has gained considerable auditing experience in different areas like pharmaceuticals, personal care items, dietary supplements, and food products. During her time at Carlson Laboratories, her work revolved around U.S. federal regulations. She then moved to Creative Werks, where her job entailed staying up-to-date with the FSMA laws. Her passion for compliance and consumer safety and her knowledge of auditing and supplier management has helped her become a prominent figure in the quality control space.In an interview with the editorial team at Agri Business Review, Carley sheds light on the challenges in the dairy industry and how forming transparent relationships with customers and suppliers can boost business relationships. Could you walk me through your roles and responsibilities at Fonterra?At Fonterra, I am responsible for maintaining product safety and resolving quality issues across our supplier base as well as answering customers' technical questions. The experiences gathered from my previous roles have helped me understand both customer and supplier viewpoints. Having worked in manufacturing, I understand what a customer exactly needs, as well as recognize the limitations faced by suppliers. This broad perspective helps me comprehend the bigger picture and make value-added decisions while maintaining the quality of Fonterra's products.As an industry leader, Fonterra prioritizes sustainability and regards it as a key component of its strategies. The team believes that sustainability is not just limited to supply chain management but also involves taking communities within the organization into consideration. With the company operating as the regional arm of a global business supplying to major U.S. manufacturers, my position requires me to interact with suppliers on a day-to-day basis. What are some of the challenges prevailing in the dairy industry?Sustainability is the biggest challenge for us at this hour. It should be a priority for companies across industries and especially in dairy, where methane emission is a serious concern. The future of the industry, as well as our planet, depends on cutting-edge initiatives like Kowbucha, fermentations developed by Fonterra to identify cultures that can help reduce methane in cows. Improving food quality and safety is another pressing priority for the dairy industry. The unavailability of infant formula last year after the Abbott plant was shut down is a good example of how food safety challenges can disrupt the supply chain and leave a significant impact on people. The FDA did a commendable job shutting down the plant after following up with a proper investigation to protect food safety and quality, but despite the swift response, there was room for more correction at the consumer end. The authorities failed to anticipate the constraints and put retail measures for the infant formula in place that could have mitigated the impact. There is scope for a more up-to-date response in food security where the key industry players can take proactive measures in consumers' interest. With little awareness about cronobacter, there is a real opportunity to educate customers on the risks it poses and how they can follow safe practices in their own kitchens to protect their children when preparing the formula. When it comes to safety response, the industry needs a broader approach to strategizing supply chains and imparting quality education to consumers.ENHANCING FOOD SAFETY THROUGH BUSINESS INNOVATIONSAN INTERVIEW WITH LORIEN CARLEY, QUALITY MANAGER, FONTERRAcXo insightsLorien Carley
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