Carl IJzerman on compromise‑free feed quality
At De Heus, sustainability starts with the basics: feed quality. Only with safe and consistent feed animals stay healthy, perform reliably and contribute to safe food for people. Safe feed enables safe food and this is essential to make Nourishing Future Generations possible. This promise requires more than good intentions. It requires clear standards, repeatable processes and people who take responsibility every day. Meet Carl IJzerman, Group Manager Quality Assurance & Quality Control (QA & QC) at De Heus. He tells about what compromise‑free quality looks like in practice.
Quality starts with predictability
“The word feed quality is often misunderstood,” says Carl IJzerman. “People think of high protein or fast growth. That is nutrition science. Quality means delivering what you promise, every single day.” As Group Manager QA & QC, Carl is responsible for the global quality framework at De Heus. Our global quality framework makes sure we work the same way worldwide and can compare results fairly. It helps us deliver safe, reliable feed every day by combining clear processes with continuous improvement.
QA focuses on designing and managing processes, while QC measures whether products meet the agreed standards. “If something does not meet the standard, the process stops. That is when the real work starts: understanding what happened and making sure it improves in a structural way.”
“Feed Quality is not about maximum performance, but about predictability and reliability.”
Carl Ijzerman
Group Manager Quality Assurance & Quality Control (QA & QC)
One quality standard, worldwide
De Heus operates in many different countries, markets and regulatory environments. Still, the same basic principle applies everywhere: we want to compare apples with apples. “One gram of protein in Brazil must mean the same as one gram of protein in Ghana,” Carl explains. “Only then can you manage quality in a reliable way.” This approach is closely linked to De Heus’ central formulation model. “If you formulate centrally, you must also define quality centrally. Otherwise, results become unpredictable and difficult to compare.”
Quality lived in daily practice
De Heus puts its focus on how quality is lived in daily practice, rather than on certificates alone. “We expect every business unit to work according to clear food safety principles,” Carl explains. “Because quality should be part of how we work — not something we show on paper. ”What matters most is an organisation that learns from itself: where issues are discussed openly, data supports decisions and improvements become part of everyday work.
“What matters most is an organisation that learns from itself.”
Carl Ijzerman
Group Manager Quality Assurance & Quality Control (QA & QC)
From standard to daily practice
Global frameworks only become meaningful in daily work. This is where the local QA expert plays a key role. On the floor, standards are applied, risks are managed and improvements are made, often in close cooperation with production, purchasing and suppliers. By documenting processes and embedding improvements, quality does not become a one‑off result. “That is where quality management makes the difference,” says Carl. “Not by controlling, but by making sure improvements last.”
“Quality is not created on paper, but in the daily work of people.”
Carl Ijzerman
Group Manager Quality Assurance & Quality Control (QA & QC)
Quality as a foundation for the future
According to Carl, the contribution of QA to sustainability is not about single initiatives, but about embedding progress. “Many sustainability measures only have real impact when they become part of normal working practice.”
For Carl, the link with Nourishing Future Generations is clear: “If we do not have our processes in order today, we cannot deliver safe and sustainable feed tomorrow. Compromise‑free quality is not a choice, it is a condition for the future.”
Join our team!
We offer as many career opportunities as different destinations to work in. For a possible match in your workfield check our vacancies.
Nicole Rouffaer
Group HR Business Partner
