Joseph Laino

About Joseph Laino

I am an accomplished food industry professional with significant expertise in food safety program design and implementation, quality systems, and operations management. With decades of experience spanning both manufacturing and storage & distribution environments, I work with organizations of all sizes to enhance food safety systems, drive continuous improvement, and navigate complex crisis situations.In addition, I am a registered SQF Auditor across multiple categories (8, 13, 17, 18, 20, 22, 25, 26, and Quality), SQF Practitioner, as well as an IHA-certified HACCP Instructor, and Preventive Controls for Human Food Lead Instructor. I have developed and presented course content over a broad range of topics. I have been an invited speaker on numerous industry topics and served as a member of the SQF Edition 10 Technical Working Group.Over the course of my career, I have led multi-site operations, managed diverse teams, and held P&L responsibilities for various food manufacturing and distribution businesses. My core competencies include FSMA compliance, FDA/USDA regulations, Preventive Controls, HACCP, FSVP, Lean principles, GFSI benchmarked schemes, pest management, food audit systems, chemistry and microbiology lab operations and root cause analysis tools. I\'ve successfully worked in and led both union and non-union facilities and have taught at the university level.Known for my empowering leadership style, I focus on team motivation, mentoring, and building high-performance cultures that prioritize safety, compliance, and operational excellence.

Experience

1. Food Safety Manager

   Munzing North America Limited Partnership

   Sep 2025 — Present · Clover, SC, US

   Promoted to this role, I lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Food Safety Management System (FSMS), encompassing HACCP, GMPs, and all prerequisite programs. As the site’s Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI), I ensure full compliance with FSMA Preventive Controls regulations while managing third-party certification programs including SQF, Organic, Kosher, and Halal. I coordinate and lead annual certification audits, maintain food safety and quality documentation (policies, procedures, and records), and provide training, coaching, and leadership to staff in food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance. My responsibilities also include conducting internal audits, risk assessments, and root cause investigations to drive continuous improvement and prevent recurrence of nonconformances.In addition, I am an SQF Lead Auditor and Practitioner, and I am approved to audit Food Sector Categories (FSCs) 8, 13, 17, 18, 20, 22, 25, and 26, as well as SQF Quality, as well as an approved Witness Assessor.

Education

• State Univ NY Farmingdale

  Associate's Degree, Food Technology and Processing

• University of Rhode Island

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Food Science and Nutrition

Skills

• Food & Beverage
• Food
• Manufacturing Operations
• Food Processing
• Confined Space Entry Certified
• Continuous Improvement
• Food Manufacturing
• Aib Applied Baking Technology
• Sqf
• Food Science
• Quality Auditing
• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (Haccp)
• Lean Manufacturing
• Integrated Pest Management
• Food Industry
• Haccp
• Food Safety
• Ingredients
• Quality Assurance
• Leadership
• Quality System
• Frozen Food
• Osha 10
• Osha 10-Hour