BALAKRISHNAN
Independent Quality and Food safety Professional
M/s RB Associates
<p>BALAKRISHNAN RAMANATHAN E-mail: balakrishnan_dl@yahoo.com Res.:”Kadambari" Tel.:914424412819 4‘A’, Rajagopalan I Street M. +919840695192 Valmikinagar, Thiruvanmiyur, CHENNAI – 600 041 OBJECTIVE Personal: To keep myself open to newness and contribute my mite towards value-addition. Professional: Upholding the quality and safety aspects of Indian merchandise by inculcating quality consciousness and a sense of pride among stakeholders. PERSONAL DATA My plus points: • Good health • Good managerial and training skills. I enjoy interacting with people and can bring out the best in them. • Good communication skills • Fluent in languages Tamil, English, Hindi, Kannada • Functional computing skills • Experience in leading and representing my organization in various International and national fora. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Post held Duration (Years) Institution Control Hqrs ./ Jurisdiction Assistant Director (Technical) 8 Export Inspection Agency Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Government of India Mumbai, Ahmadabad, Rajkot, Kochi,Chennai Deputy Director (Technical) 22 Export Inspection Agency Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Government of India Rajkot, Bangalore, Chennai Joint Director (Technical) 3 Export Inspection Council Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Government of India New Delhi / All India Senior Manager (Food) 5 months TUV SUD South Asia TUV SUD Group Chennai / South Asia Core skills: I. Quality Control, Export Promotion and Development of Food-safety and Trade Standards for • Food Products (Sea food, Aqua-cultured Shrimps, Milk Products, Spices, Honey, Basmati Rice, Poultry etc.) • Chemical Products (Organic and Inorganic Chemicals, porcelain Insulators, Sanitary wares, Tiles, Crockery etc.) II. Assessment of Quality Control / Food safety arrangements III. Pre-shipment Inspection of products (Mentioned above) Note: Knowledge/ Skill areas Yrs of Experience I Auditing & Certifying F.S.M.S to ISO 22000/9001 and HACCP standards 6 months (2006) II Export Promotion and Development of Industrial and Trade Standards 3 yrs (2003-2005) III Assessment of In-process Quality Control / Food Safety Arrangements 22 yrs (1981-2003) IV Pre-shipment Inspection of products 8 yrs (1973-1980) ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS I. Bachelor of Engineering (B.E) II. Post Graduate Certificate in the Elements of Statistical Quality Control and Operations Research III. Post-Graduate Diploma in Statistical Quality Control (P.G.D.S.Q.C.) IV. Accredited Quality Consultant of FICCI Quality Forum V. Lead Auditor (ISO 9000/22000) VI. HACCP Consultant and Auditor VII. Registered Chartered Engineer PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP: I. Fellow, Institution of Engineers (India) II. Member, National Institution for Quality and Reliability (India) – N.I.Q.R III. Member, Institute of Standards Engineers . IV. Member, Loss Prevention Association of India Limited. V. Affiliate Member, Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) TRAINING PROGRAMS SUCESSFULLY COMPLETED I. IRCA – accredited Auditor Conversion Training Course on Food Safety Management Systems (ISO22000) II. Introduction to ISO/ IEC Guide 65 and IAF Guidance on the Application of ISO/IEC Guide 65 III. Seafood Processing, Packing and Inspection for Export to Japan. IV. Sanitation Control Procedures (SCP) for processing Fish and Fisheries Products. V. FAO – Training of Trainers COu8rse on Food Quality and Safety based on Good Manufacturing Practices and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Principles. VI. IRCA – accredited Lead-Assessor (ISO 9000) I WORK EXPERIENCE 1. Planning and carrying out of on-site/off-site audit of food-processing establishments of the region against ISO-22000/ISO-9001 standards. Carrying out all necessary follow-ups, subsequent to the audit Completion, like, preparation of audit reports, draft certificate formats, forwardal of copies to various specially designated recipients, further follow-ups etc. 2. Other technical activities of the organization, like, partaking in training activities, business development efforts, third-party Inspections etc. 3. E.I.C. is the apex body set up by the Govt.of India, to enforce measures for a sound development of the export trade of the country through statutory quality control and pre-shipment inspection of notified commodities, through its field organizations, called Export Inspection Agencies (E.I.A.s), functioning in the various geographical regions of the country. As the designated head of the Technical Division, I was overseeing the overall technical activities of the E.I.A.s, on a day-to-day basis. Besides, I was onto technical developmental activities, like formulation of standards, procedures and norms for various food items, co-ordination with the various Departments / organizations of the Central/State governments, trade bodies and the like on a continual basis. I had frequent interactions with sister organizations of India's trade partners. 4. Till september2000, I was the acting Agency, i.e.E.I.A.head, with jurisdiction over the states of Tamilnadu&Andhra Pradesh, besides looking after our technical divisions dealing with marine products, engineering chemical products. My duties included deployment of monitoring/inspecting officers, on a day-to-day basis, to processing plants, supervising their workings; assessment visits to approved plants, factories other facilities, co-coordinating technical functions with E.I.C. and other trade bodies/organizations on a continual basis etc., 5. At Bangalore, I was the officer-in-charge of this important sub. (Branch) office of E.I.A.-Cochin, looking after the statutory Quality Control&Pre-shipment functions relating the notified commodities, emanating from the Karnataka region. Besides these inspection functions, the Bangalore office was also in the forefront in the issuance of a large number of 'Certificates of Origin’, under the preferential category (G.S.P., G.S.T.P.etc.)for various export commodities of the region, on a day-to-day basis, necessitating keeping abreast of the often complex latest rules of origin on various commodities, as being published by the Customs authorities of various importing countries. 6. Since March,2007,I have been running a Consultancy organization along with competent technocrat friends, by name and style/s RB Associates, offering food-processing industries/processors a comprehensive package of guidance to set up their own individual in-house HACCP systems, tailor made to their requirements, training their work force in hygienic food-handling practices, conducting trial/mock audits etc. The general components of our afore-mentioned consultancies comprise conduct of need based awareness/training/orientation programmes at grass-root level, middle & senior management level personnel of the plant on various topics, such as Hygienic handling of food products, GMP, GHP, HACCP, teambuilding, quality control, testing, inspection etc., help in preparation of Quality/HACCP/Procedures manual etc., conducting internal/pre-audits, Gap analyses and the like and also include coordination with the certifying agency concerned. I am happy to add that M/S RB Associates, since inception, have successful y completed consultancy assignments to three large scale EU-approved & export oriented seafood processing establishments qualifying themselves to receive from prestigious certification bodies of international stature, conformity certificates for their respective Food Safety Management (F.S.M.) systems to HACCP, & BRC, ACC & ISO-22000 and the like. Currently, our company is executing similar assignments, at 6(six) locations in the states of A.P., Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar helping prepare these medium scale establishments to qualify for compliance to HACCP, BRC&ISO-22000certification requirements. More such assignments are in various advanced stages of finalization. 7. I have been commissioned recently (i.e., since 01/01/2008) by the MPEDA (Marine Products Export Development Authority), India, an important arm of the Government of India set up for the development of the fisheries sector in the country, to conduct a study for up gradation of dried marine Fish processing in the coastal states of India. As part of the study, I am preparing a detailed plan for up gradation of fish drying to improve the Standards of Dry Fish processing and packaging by introducing new Technology. CONTRIBUTED ARTICLES TO THE FOLLOWING PUBLICATIONS: 1). Essential Technological and Quality Requisites for Success In Export of Indian Food Products {Report of Proceedings of the International Seminar on 'Emergence of India as a Significant Global Player in Processed Food Products' conducted by the All India Food Processors’ Association at New Delhi on March 11&12.2005} 2).SPS Agreement Food Safety-Standards Quality issues in International Trade {Report of the Inter-regional Workshop on Trade Health Organized by WHO/SEARO IN October 2004} 3).Calibration of Test and Measuring Instruments and its role with relevance to ISO-9000 {Export Inspection Journal--Vol.XII.NO.1.JUNE 1995 and many more}.</p>
<p>Now,I am an Independent Consultant(Free lance) on Quality and Food Safety matters.</p>
