Quality management specialist hired to serve Oklahoma’s food processing industry

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Quality management programs are at the heart of safe food and fiber production in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center understands this need and has partnered with the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center in Durant, Oklahoma, to hire a quality management specialist to serve the food processing industry in the state.

Stephanie Baker, 2007 OSU food science graduate from Meeker, Oklahoma, will lead and manage quality, food safety and security programs for the Oklahoma food industries, as well as best manufacturing practices for product outputs and employee safe health practices.

“My goal as the quality management specialist is to connect with companies who are looking for assistance with preparing for their first food safety audit, starting a quality management focused project, or in need of technical or regulatory advice,” she said.

Baker’s background includes experience in the dairy industry, having grown up on a dairy farm and completing an internship at Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Plant in Tuttle, Oklahoma. While in college, she also worked part time in FAPC’s food microbiology lab.

Baker has experience in the ready-to-eat meat industry, as she worked at Sigma Processed Meats, a major international ham and hot dog manufacturer in Seminole, Oklahoma. Most recently, she worked for seven years as a quality assurance manager at Shawnee Milling Co. in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

Roy Escoubas, FAPC director, said he is happy to have Baker as part of the FAPC team.

“This position is vital to the well-being of small and large Oklahoma businesses, allowing them to compete in national and world trade,” he said. “Stephanie will serve the needs of our client base in quality management, Global Food Safety Initiative and best management practices, and will contribute to our overall food safety program.”

FAPC, a part of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, helps to discover, develop and deliver technical and business information that stimulates and supports the growth of value-added food and agricultural products and processing in Oklahoma.

MEDIA CONTACT: Mandy Gross | FAPC Communications Services | 405-744-0442 | mandy.gross@okstate.edu