Reza Eslami — Food Safety & Quality Assurance Expert

Helping Canadian Food Businesses Build Safer, Stronger Operations

I am a Canadian food safety and quality assurance professional with more than 25 years of experience across food manufacturing, food processing, regulatory compliance, quality management, auditing, and food safety systems.

As CEO and Co-Founder of Arnika, I work with food businesses across Canada to develop, implement, review, and strengthen practical food safety systems.

My work includes helping businesses with HACCP, Preventive Control Plans (PCPs), GMP, prerequisite programs, SFCR compliance, food safety auditing, regulatory inspection preparation, certification readiness, corrective actions, root cause analysis, traceability, food recalls, food testing, and employee training.

My objective is simple:

Help food businesses build food safety systems that work in the real operating environment—not just on paper.

My Food Safety Philosophy

Food safety should never become paperwork for the sake of paperwork.

A food safety system should protect consumers while also helping employees work effectively, reducing operational risk, improving consistency, and supporting business growth.

I believe an effective food safety system should be:

• Practical
• Risk-based
• Appropriate for the operation
• Understandable to employees
• Properly documented
• Implemented in practice
• Verified and continuously improved

Every recommendation I provide comes back to one fundamental question:

Will this improve the business while strengthening food safety?

This philosophy is also reflected in the way Arnika provides food safety consulting services across Canada.

Professional Experience

Throughout my career, I have held leadership and technical roles across quality assurance, regulatory affairs, food safety management, laboratory operations, and consulting.

Selected Roles

• Director of Quality Assurance
• Food Safety & Quality Control Manager
• Regulatory Affairs Manager
• Quality Assurance Manager
• Quality Control & Laboratory Manager
• HACCP Coordinator
• SQF Practitioner
• Food Safety Consultant

This combination of laboratory, operational, quality-management, regulatory, and consulting experience allows me to approach food safety from both a technical and practical perspective.

I understand that food safety systems must not only satisfy regulatory and certification requirements—they must also be implemented effectively by the people who operate them every day.

Areas of Food Safety & Quality Expertise

HACCP & Preventive Food Safety Systems

My experience includes:

• HACCP
• Preventive Control Plans (PCPs)
• Hazard analysis
• Critical Control Points (CCPs)
• Control measures
• Critical limits
• Monitoring
• Corrective actions
• Verification
• Validation
• Prerequisite Programs
• Food Safety Culture
• Food Defense

For businesses developing or improving HACCP systems, I provide support through Arnika’s HACCP consulting services.

You can also explore Arnika’s detailed HACCP guide for Canadian food businesses.

GMP & Prerequisite Programs

Good Manufacturing Practices and prerequisite programs provide the operational foundation for an effective food safety system.

My experience includes:

• GMP implementation
• Sanitation programs
• Personnel hygiene
• Allergen control
• Pest control
• Equipment and facility controls
• Supplier controls
• Preventive maintenance
• Environmental controls
• Documentation and records

Arnika provides GMP consulting services and support for developing and improving HACCP prerequisite programs.

SFCR, CFIA & Regulatory Compliance

I work with Canadian food businesses on regulatory and compliance matters involving:

• Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR)
• CFIA requirements
• Preventive Control Plans
• Import and export requirements
• Food safety documentation
• Traceability
• Recall preparedness
• Regulatory inspection preparation

For businesses preparing for a regulatory inspection, Arnika provides CFIA inspection preparation services that can include PCP review, HACCP assessment, prerequisite-program review, documentation review, facility assessment, employee training, corrective action support, and mock inspection activities.

Food Safety Auditing & Certification Experience

I have practical experience supporting organizations with:

• Internal food safety audits
• HACCP audits
• GMP audits
• Supplier audits
• Customer audits
• Certification-readiness assessments
• Corrective action
• Root cause investigations
• Audit preparation

Through Arnika, I support businesses with food safety auditing services designed to identify gaps and help organizations strengthen their food safety systems before regulatory, customer, or certification audits.

SQF, BRCGS & FSSC 22000

My experience also includes supporting businesses preparing for GFSI-recognized certification schemes, including:

• SQF
• BRCGS
• FSSC 22000

Arnika provides SQF certification support and certification-readiness services for organizations preparing their food safety systems for third-party certification.

Certification itself is conducted by the applicable independent certification body.

Food Safety Training & Employee Competency

A food safety system is only effective when employees understand their responsibilities and can implement the required controls.

My experience includes training and competency development in areas such as:

• HACCP
• GMP
• Food safety fundamentals
• Preventive controls
• Sanitation
• Allergen management
• Food safety documentation
• Internal auditing
• Corrective actions
• Food safety culture

Through Arnika, I provide food safety training services across Canada for food manufacturers, processors, importers, distributors, food service businesses, and other food operations.

Food Safety Testing & Laboratory Experience

My professional background also includes quality control and laboratory operations, including experience related to food microbiology and food testing.

Through Arnika, businesses can receive support with food safety testing services, including identifying appropriate testing parameters, developing risk-based testing approaches, reviewing laboratory results, and connecting testing results with HACCP, preventive controls, and corrective actions.

Corrective Action & Root Cause Analysis

Food safety problems should not simply be corrected at the surface level.

My experience includes root cause analysis, CAPA, investigation of non-conformities, customer complaints, food safety incidents, and recurring process problems.

Arnika also provides resources and support related to Root Cause Analysis in food manufacturing, including structured approaches such as 5 Whys and investigation of food safety and quality incidents.

The objective is to understand not only what went wrong, but why the existing system allowed the problem to occur and how recurrence can be reduced.

Food Traceability & Recall Management

Traceability and recall preparedness are important components of a food safety system.

My experience includes:

• Traceability systems
• Lot tracking
• Supplier controls
• Complaint investigation
• Recall preparedness
• Corrective actions
• Food safety investigations

Arnika provides Food Recall Management support in Canada, including recall investigation, root cause analysis, PCP review, HACCP review, corrective action, and regulatory compliance support.

Food Manufacturing & Startup Experience

Food safety should be considered before a new facility begins production.

I support food businesses and entrepreneurs with food safety considerations related to:

• New food manufacturing facilities
• Facility planning
• Process flow
• HACCP
• GMP
• Prerequisite programs
• Preventive Control Plans
• Supplier controls
• Traceability
• Employee training
• Certification readiness

Arnika’s Food Manufacturing Startup Consulting service helps businesses consider food safety and regulatory requirements during facility planning, development, commissioning, and early operations.

Industries I Support

Through Arnika, I support businesses across different sectors of the Canadian food supply chain, including:

• Food Manufacturers & Processors
• Meat & Poultry
• Seafood
• Bakery
• Dairy
• Beverage
• Fresh Produce
• Food Packaging
• Storage & Distribution
• Food Brokers & Importers
• Retail & Food Service Operations

You can explore the broader range of industries Arnika serves and the food safety challenges associated with different types of operations.

Regulatory & Certification Experience

My professional experience includes practical work related to:

Food Safety Systems

HACCP • GMP • PCP • Prerequisite Programs

Regulatory Compliance

SFCR • CFIA • FDA • Import/Export Requirements

Certification Readiness

SQF • BRCGS • FSSC 22000 • GFSI-Recognized Certification Schemes

My role is focused on consulting, implementation, assessment, training, auditing, and certification readiness.

Where third-party certification is required, the actual certification decision is made by the applicable independent certification body.

Leadership at Arnika

As CEO and Co-Founder of Arnika, I lead a team focused on practical food safety services for food businesses across Canada.

Arnika’s services include:

• Food Safety Consulting
• HACCP Consulting
• Food Safety Training
• Food Safety Auditing
• Certification Support
• Food Safety Testing
• CFIA Inspection Preparation
• Regulatory Compliance Support

My role combines technical food safety expertise with practical business experience, helping clients identify risks, strengthen systems, address compliance gaps, and prepare for audits, inspections, and certification.

Explore Arnika’s Food Safety Services

Knowledge & Publications

I regularly share practical guidance for Canadian food businesses through Arnika’s food safety resources, articles, guides, and case studies.

My published guidance covers topics including:

• HACCP
• GMP
• Preventive Control Plans
• SFCR
• CFIA inspections
• Food Safety Audits
• SQF
• BRCGS
• FSSC 22000
• Food Traceability
• Food Recall Management
• Root Cause Analysis
• Food Safety Training
• Regulatory Compliance
• Food Manufacturing

Explore Arnika’s Food Safety Resources

Why I Focus on Practical Food Safety

Food safety consulting should ultimately help businesses operate better, not simply create more documents.

A strong food safety system should help an organization:

• Protect consumers
• Control food safety hazards
• Meet applicable regulatory requirements
• Satisfy customer expectations
• Prepare for audits and inspections
• Train employees effectively
• Investigate problems
• Correct recurring issues
• Continuously improve

That is the approach I bring to my work with Arnika.

Connect with Reza Eslami

If you are looking for food safety consulting, regulatory guidance, audit preparation, employee training, or certification-readiness support, I invite you to contact Arnika.

📧 Email: info@arnika.ca

🔗 LinkedIn: Connect with Reza Eslami

🌐 Arnika: https://arnika.ca

Contact Arnika’s Food Safety Consulting Team

Frequently Asked Questions

How many years of food safety experience does Reza Eslami have?

I have more than 25 years of professional experience across food safety, quality assurance, food manufacturing, regulatory compliance, auditing, laboratory operations, and food safety management systems.

What food safety systems does Reza specialize in?

My experience includes HACCP, Preventive Control Plans, GMP, prerequisite programs, SQF, BRCGS, FSSC 22000, internal auditing, corrective actions, traceability, and food safety management systems.

Does Reza support businesses across Canada?

Yes. Through Arnika, I support food businesses across Canada through virtual and, where appropriate, on-site consulting, auditing, training, and regulatory support.

What types of businesses does Reza support?

I work with food manufacturers, processors, importers, distributors, warehouses, packaging operations, retailers, food service businesses, and other organizations involved in the Canadian food supply chain.

Can Reza help prepare a business for a CFIA inspection?

Yes. Through Arnika, I can support businesses with Preventive Control Plan review, HACCP review, prerequisite-program assessment, GMP assessment, documentation and record review, facility assessment, employee training, corrective actions, traceability and recall readiness, and mock inspection activities.

Does Reza provide food safety certification?

I provide consulting and certification-readiness support for programs such as SQF, BRCGS, and FSSC 22000.

The actual certification is conducted by the applicable independent certification body.

Can Reza help with food safety audits?

Yes. Through Arnika, I support businesses with GMP audits, HACCP audits, internal audits, supplier audits, certification-readiness assessments, and corrective-action follow-up.

Can Reza help with food safety training?

Yes. Arnika provides food safety training covering areas such as HACCP, GMP, preventive controls, food hygiene, internal auditing, documentation, and food safety culture.

What makes Reza’s approach different?

My approach combines technical food safety expertise with practical operational experience.

I focus on developing systems that businesses can actually implement, maintain, verify, and improve—not simply documents created for an audit.

A food safety system should work for the people who use it every day while meeting applicable regulatory, customer, and certification requirements.

Ready to Strengthen Your Food Safety System?

Whether your business needs help with HACCP, GMP, Preventive Control Plans, regulatory compliance, food safety auditing, employee training, CFIA inspection preparation, food testing, or certification readiness, Arnika can help.

Tell us about your operation, your current challenge, and what you need to achieve. We’ll help you determine the right next step.

Explore Arnika’s Food Safety Services

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