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X4 Talks
Inside the Future of Food Safety Auditing with Kris Middleton
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In this episode of X4 Talks, host Sam Kent, Head of Food Safety & Social Compliance Recruitment at X4 Engineering sits down with Kris Middleton, Food and Forestry Business Unit Director at Bureau Veritas, to explore some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the food assurance industry today.
Drawing on more than 20 years of experience as both an auditor and business leader, Kris shares his perspective on the growing auditor shortage, the evolution of GFSI schemes, the balance between full-time and contract auditors and what upcoming changes to SQF Edition 10 and FSSC 22000 Version 7 mean for the industry.
Key Topics Covered
- Why the food safety industry is facing a significant auditor talent shortage
- How current qualification requirements may be limiting the next generation of auditors
- The importance of attracting graduates and early-career professionals into auditing
- The balance between technical expertise and auditing soft skills
- Why audits should be viewed as a partnership rather than a punitive exercise
- The evolving relationship between certification bodies and contract auditors
- Full-time vs subcontract auditor models and where the industry is headed
- Managing auditor burnout and improving retention
Kris Middleton is the Food and Forestry Business Unit Director at Bureau Veritas. With more than two decades of experience in food safety auditing, certification, training and operational leadership across North America, Kris remains active as an auditor while leading business growth, training initiatives and auditor development programs.
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Hosted by Sam Kent Head of Food Safety & Social Compliance Recruitment at X4 Engineering and featuring Kris Middleton, Food and Forestry Business Unit Director at Bureau Veritas.