Hi Carrie, thanks, an excellent article, well done.  The food sector does lots of things better than many others when it comes to production controls, after all, they've been at it longer than nearly everyone else, and commercially, food is a risky business.  Here in Wellington NZ, it's an urban legend that new food outlets usually get off to a great start but are closed within 18 months.  Having watched a few whose offerings appealed to my palate, the story is the same.  They open with a hiss and a roar serving up food that delights most diners.  A cuppla months later, the food isn't so good, the service likewise, and so it goes until the real estate signs regain their place the window.

It seems to me that the difference between the wannabes and the established is an understanding of the theory of survival.  Many years ago, I was wont to preach about "quality" as the ultimate saviour in ensuring business continuity over time. It's still a current theme in the smoke and mirrors world of ISO 9001, even though ISO 9001 is only about supplier evaluation, but that's another story.  One day I was preaching about "quality as essential for survival" to our very experienced and much older (he was about "our" age now, Carrie) Sales Director.  He smiled benignly, put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Never forget this, Ian, only one thing solves all company problems, and that's more sales!"  And that's the key.  All of Lean, Six Sigma, Zero Defects, Baldrige, ISO 9001 etc. ad nauseam are worth doing only if they are focussed first and foremost on creating more sales revenue. Operational efficiency comes next. 

As for your dietary struggles, I've been in "need-to-lose-weight-land" most of my life, but it's only of late I've discovered why.  I think I now have the theory right to the point where I am in control for the first time in 50 years.  Dr Jason Fung is a kidney specialist from Toronto.  His book "The Obesity Code - unlocking the secrets of weight loss" lifts the lid on the misinformation and lies that have pervaded dietary advice for the last 40+ years.  He explains exactly why obesity and Type II diabetes are a modern pandemic that has emerged only over that period of time.  Just as Lean doesn't work if you don't understand the theory, neither do weight loss programmes.  I commend the book to you.  As a "QA person", I'm sure it will help you as much as it's helped me as Dr Fung offers a very simple alternative that costs nothing and has been a part of human behaviour since our ancestors lived in caves!