Cape Town Region: Laboratory Technician posted by West Coast Personnel

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled Laboratory Technician to join our team at West Coast Personnel’s facility in Cape Town. As a Laboratory Technician, you will be responsible for conducting various laboratory tests and analyses to ensure the quality of our dairy and juice products. You will work closely with our production team to identify and rectify any quality issues, while also maintaining strict adherence to food safety and health standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform testing on raw milk, pasteurized milk, cream, buttermilk, yogurt, juice, and dairy blends.
• Analyse parameters including pH, butterfat, protein stability, sugar content (Brix), viscosity, texture, and total solids.
• Conduct titrations for CIP and COP chemical strength verification.
• Test for antibiotics using rapid and confirmatory methods and reject products if tests fail.
• Complete Product Release documentation and issue release slips based on test results.
• Conduct microbiological analyses on raw materials, in-process products, and finished goods.
• Plate samples as per SOPs and monitor microbial development overnight.
• Evaluate results against standards and report deviations immediately.
• Perform additional tests as required for over-developed samples.
• Collect and store daily production samples for retention and shelf-life testing.
• Organize and maintain retention samples and remove outdated samples.
• Perform organoleptic and shelf-life tests upon expiry or for customer complaints.
• Analyse drain water/effluent samples for pH and COD to ensure compliance with environmental standards.

Requirements

• Post-matric qualification in Chemistry, Microbiology, Food Technology, or Agriculture.
• Strong foundation in Mathematics and Science.
• Experience in laboratory testing within a production or FMCG environment.
• Familiarity with quality control, quality assurance, and food safety standards.

Qualifications

• Formal education/certifications: None mentioned

Salary & Benefits

• Related salary to Department: Not specified

Working Conditions

• Production/factory environment with potential exposure to wet, slippery, and cold conditions.
• Handling of chemicals and testing equipment.
• Shift work, including nights and weekends.

Reporting Structure

• Line Managers:
• Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator
• Microbiology Laboratory Coordinator
• Food Safety Systems Administrator
• Food Safety Systems Coordinator

Decision-Making Authority

• Stop production if products fail to meet specifications.
• Request additional samples to verify test results.
• Inform supervisors of non-compliant products immediately.