Tara Freiburger

Oversaw all aspects of the U.S. Animal Welfare program, including developing and implementing training materials (compliance documents, postings, and videos), managing the program's document library, and coordinating both internal and external audits.

• Led two team members in conducting animal welfare audits across the U.S., while also performing over 200 routine audits of primary broiler breeder rearing farms, hen farms, and hatcheries annually.
• Developed a Power BI-integrated digital auditing platform in partnership with IT, enabling data-driven insights from farm and hatchery audits to improve decision-making, and drive continuous improvement.

Managed a team of 10+ microbiologists responsible for poultry health, Salmonella testing, overseeing all aspects of laboratory operations, including quality control, testing procedures, and reporting. Drove projects that enhanced testing efficiency, capability, and accuracy.

• Developed and presented a proposal at the NPIP Biennial Conference that led to the inclusion of a new Salmonella testing method in the official NPIP Program Standards, enhancing industry-wide testing capabilities, and improving the accuracy of Salmonella detection.
• Developed and implemented a comprehensive laboratory safety program, encompassing all required documentation, training protocols, and facility maintenance to ensure consistent compliance, validated through biannual audits by the area safety manager.

Directed a team of 16+ FSQA technicians in executing food safety and quality evaluations across all stages of a large slaughter-to-fully-cooked processing facility, ensuring adherence to USDA regulations.

• Oversaw a range of critical functions, including conducting and preparing various audits, developing and revising plant policies, managing customer complaints, and leading team member hiring and training initiatives.
• Spearheaded improvements to the boneless meat verification policy implementation, optimizing the management of retained products to minimize waste, facilitate efficient rework, and reduce condemned products.

Performed accurate and compliant log-in and setup of customer samples, adhering to safety and ISO standards. Maintained cross-training across all laboratory functions.

• Conducted independent research comparing APT and MRS agars to optimize bacterial growth for deli meat spoilage testing. This resulted in a process improvement adopted company-wide by all Tyson Foods, Inc. laboratories.