Dr Jennifer Blyth BSc (Hons) PhD MIFST CSci, Technical & Quality Manager at SSQC LTD

How Science Council registration and IFST membership benefit me and my employer, and how UKAS accreditation benefits my employer and the quality of our work.

Background to me and the company:

I’m the Technical /Quality Manager at SSQC Ltd based in the Shetland Islands. SSQC was established in 1985 and is an independent quality assurance company which offers sampling and analytical services to both local business and those from further afield. It was initially set up to provide a quality assurance service for the seafood sector in Shetland, but it has expanded its customer base over the years to include a wide range of industries and sample types. These include the aquaculture industry (e.g. salmon and shellfish farming), fish markets, food business operators, NHS, water companies and dairies. The testing services offered are predominantly microbiological testing of food products, environmental and hygiene samples, and water. SSQC has been UKAS accredited to the ISO 17025 standard for testing laboratories since 2005 and has a range of tests on its scope of accreditation. We are also a designated Official Control Laboratory for E.coli in bivalve shellfish and hold Drinking Water Test Specification (DWTS) accreditation, allowing us to test regulatory water drinking water samples.

I’ve been a member of the IFST since 2017 and have held science council registration since 2022.

Science Council registration and IFST membership benefits

• Having IFST membership allows me both personal development and career advancement opportunities by providing a network of connections with other professionals working in food science and technology. This is particularly important because of my location in the Shetland Islands, which is fairly remote from mainland UK. Being able to communicate and feel part of a wider professional community really helps to support me in my role, even when I’m so far away geographically from other people in my field.
• It also provides me with an amazing resource for information in areas of food science and technology that I’m less familiar with, helping me to think of solutions and new ideas which I wouldn’t have considered before. Having access to food science journals, technical reports and research papers is helps me to keep my knowledge up to date and allows me to know what the latest innovations and advancements are.
• Having the opportunity to participate in IFST meetings and webinars remotely has been fantastic in terms of access to CPD and information, since opportunities to attend events in person is sometimes limited due to how far away Shetland is from the UK mainland.
• Being a Chartered Scientist boosts my professional standing and gives our customers reassurance that I have met a rigorous standard of scientific practice and professionalism. It adds credibility to my communications with customers and shows that I’m competent my field.
• It is also a requirement which allows our laboratory to hold DWTS accreditation which means that we are able to analyse regulatory drinking water samples.
• Being a Chartered Scientist gives me the opportunity to fully engage in CPD, which had been fantastic for my development as both a scientist and a manager – I’ve developed a lot in terms of leadership and management skills since being chartered, which has benefitted not only me but the team of people that I manage, as I’ve been able to apply what I’ve learned to make our systems better.
• I feel very proud of achieving chartered status, as it’s an important professional milestone and it is recognition of the years of work and the experience I’ve gained along the way. It’s given me greater confidence in my abilities and shows that I have a high standard of integrity. I hope that I can use this to contribute to my profession in a meaningful way.

Benefits of UKAS accreditation to SSQC Ltd.

• UKAS accreditation is recognised internationally as a mark of quality. It means we are seen as competent, reliable and that we adhere to internationally accepted standards. This helps with establishing credibility and trust with our customers, regulatory bodies and other organisations that we work with. Our customers can have confidence that the testing results from our laboratory are accurate, unbiased, and adhere to established standards.

• We’re accredited to ISO 17025:2017, which is the international standard for the competence requirements of testing laboratories, which means that we have an extremely rigorous quality management system in place, which we’re continually improving. Having UKAS accreditation for this standard shows that we comply with all of its requirements, which gives our customers reassurance that the testing services we provide is of the highest quality.

• UKAS accreditation can help differentiate our laboratory from competitors who are not accredited. This can be a significant selling point when bidding for contracts or seeking new clients.
• Many industries and government bodies require testing laboratories to be UKAS accredited in order to ensure the reliability of results. Accreditation can therefore make our company the preferred choice for such organisations. In some sectors, especially those dealing with safety-critical samples or public health, regulatory authorities often require testing to be carried out in UKAS accredited laboratories to ensure compliance with national and international regulations e.g. SSQC Ltd has DWTS accreditation on our UKAS scope, which allows us to test regulatory drinking water samples.
• Having UKAS accreditation also helps our staff to feel a sense of pride that they work within a company that has high standards.
• Being the Technical/Quality Manager of a UKAS accredited laboratory is a challenging and rewarding role. It provides excellent career development opportunities, a high level of professional recognition, and the chance to contribute meaningfully to the success of the laboratory and the industries that we provide services to.

Membership of the IFST, Science Council registration and UKAS accreditation are really a triple whammy (if I can say that!) when it comes to being able to reassure our customers that they will always get a professional service of the highest quality and integrity when using the services of SSQC Ltd.

Become professionally registered

Have you been inspired by Cecil Cherian? Find out how to apply to become a Chartered Scientist here.