Today we’d like to introduce you to Yoseline Torres.
Hi Yoseline, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
It all started with a little girl’s dream of moving to the United States and attending a university like the ones she would see in the movies. When the time came to graduate high school, I already had my tickets to Madison, WI, and the University of Wisconsin in Madison. I took English as a second language during the summer, and that same year, I started as a freshman, taking science and physics classes. Not knowing what I wanted to study after almost two years in college, I was guided by my advisor to take Food Science 101 in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at UW-Madison to narrow down my interests. Seven years later, I had a Food Science degree with a minor in International Agriculture and Natural Resources and a completed internship with a food company abroad. I also worked in Garland, Texas, as a supervisor at a meat processing facility, which I took with much excitement. In the next few years, I moved back to Puerto Rico with an excellent job opportunity with an international company that allowed me to travel to various countries in Europe and Latin America. While in Puerto Rico, I was blessed to give birth to my precious firstborn and only son. Because of him and my desire to continue learning the extensive areas and opportunities of the food industry, I moved back to the United States when my son was only one year old. This time, we moved to Florida. My journey here was an uphill one due to the difficulties of being a professional single mom and not having a family support system since most of my family was back in Puerto Rico. However, I wasn’t alone throughout this trajectory, as some people became friends and helped. While back in Florida, I occupied positions such as Food Safety and Public Health Technical Manager, Global Food Safety Modernization Act Technical Manager, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager, Supply Chain Manager, QC Food Safety Manager for Latin America Beverages, Director of Quality Assurance and Food Safety, and Director of Operations, with a few multinational and global organizations including Nestlé, The Walt Disney Company, PepsiCo, Inc., Planet Hollywood International, and SGS Consulting. While working for my last employer and traveling the world for business, I reflected on the wealth of experience and knowledge I had gained over the years. Having already dreamed of becoming my own boss and managing my time and projects for several years, I took an immense leap of faith in 2020, founding and managing TruFood Solutions, LLC. Today, our firm offers training, consulting, and assessment services to the food and beverage industry, providing practical solutions to their food safety and quality management needs. TruFood Solutions, LLC has been successfully operating for 3 years, 3 months, and 13 days as of the day of this interview, and I am happy and looking forward to our 5th anniversary. My son is now a freshman in college and loving life in the south of the Sunshine State.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Having moved to the United States as a single mom away from family was a challenge due to not having a support system and having to constantly arrange for my son’s care due to my job requiring monthly and, at times, bi-weekly international traveling. My son needed me to be more present as he grew up, which was also why I pursued other job options—having left a steady six-figure salary with benefits to start a new business from scratch created seasons of financial uncertainty.
As you know, we’re big fans of TruFood Solutions, LLC. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with the brand?
TruFood Solutions, LLC was founded in 2020 by Yoseline Torres after consistently identifying a great need for personalized consulting services in the food service, food manufacturing, and supply chain organizations she worked for. Our team of highly qualified consultants works with food businesses, offering specialist advice to drive continuous improvement, deliver compliance, and manage food safety and operational risks. Our clients include restaurants, carbonated beverage bottlers, digestive enzyme and health supplement providers, distilleries, food warehouses and distribution centers, commercial kitchens, food manufacturers, etc.
We offer consulting services and solutions in areas such as:
- Food Manufacturing and Processing (Food Safety Gap Assessment, GFSI gap assessments, Supplier Management, Food Safety Policy and Procedures development, Internal Auditor Training, etc.)
- Food Storage and Distribution (FSMA readiness, Allergen Risk Assessments, Food Safety Gap Assessments, etc.)
- Food Service, Hospitality, and Restaurants (Food Safety Gap Assessments, Free From Allergen Certification audits, Food Regulations Consulting Services, Food Handler and Manager certification training, etc.
- Our consulting services can be offered in both English and Spanish.
Do you have any big plans?
The short-term (within a year and a half) plan is to grow my business by adding a couple of consultants and an admin person to work directly with me. In the long term, I plan to sell my business, travel around the United States with my Harley Davidson motorcycle, and visit India and South Africa.
Pricing:
- Pricing varies depending on the service needed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://trufoodsolutions.com
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/yoseline-t-5a2ba2172
