Microbiology Internship at McCain Foods
McCain Foods is offering an exciting Food Safety & Quality Internship for Summer 2026, designed for students passionate about food safety, quality systems, and consumer trust. This Microbiology internship provides hands-on exposure to real-world quality projects, documentation systems, and digital food safety tools while working closely with cross-functional teams. The Paid Internship at McCain Careers is an ideal opportunity to build a strong foundation for a career in Quality & Food Safety within the global food industry.
Internship Details:
- Position Title: FSQ Intern – Summer 2026
- Employment Type: Temporary – Full-Time
- Grade: Grade 01
- Requisition ID: 39805
- Duration: May to August 2026
- Work Arrangement: Hybrid (minimum 3 days in office per week)
- Primary Location: Appleton, Wisconsin, USA
- Additional Locations: Fort Atkinson, Milwaukee, Plover, Rice Lake, Wisconsin Rapids (WI)
- Department: Microbiology | Quality & Food Safety
- Company: McCain Foods USA, Inc.
- Compensation: $23.00 – $26.00 USD per hour
About the Company:
McCain Foods is a global, family-owned food company committed to delivering high-quality, safe, and consistent food products to consumers worldwide. With a strong customer-first mindset, McCain fosters innovation, collaboration, and excellence across its operations. The company’s North American Food Safety & Quality team plays a critical role in maintaining consumer trust and regulatory compliance across all food production processes.
Educational Requirements for the Paid Internship:
- Currently enrolled as a Junior or Senior undergraduate student
- Degree background in Food Science, Biology / Microbiology, Biochemistry, or a related scientific discipline
- Strong interest in pursuing a career in Food Safety & Quality
Key Responsibilities for the Paid Internship:
- Standardize customer-facing food safety documents such as Letters of Guarantee, HACCP materials, and compliance statements
- Update Consumer Affairs policies, protocols, and response templates
- Organize and optimize internal document repositories for accuracy and accessibility
- In this Microbiology Internship, you should support digital quality systems integration (e.g., Intelex) to automate workflows and document control
- Assist in the development of a Consumer Praise program, including process mapping and workflow design in this Microbiology Internship.
- Support tools that enhance consumer feedback tracking and communication
- Create and update program manuals, visual standards, and reference materials
- Support commercialization quality initiatives, including sensory surveys and packaging-related quality work, in this Paid Internship.
- Develop a finished product defect grading manual and visual defect image bank to improve quality training and consistency
Skills Required:
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- High attention to detail and excellent organizational ability
- Strong analytical and data interpretation skills
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and data reporting tools
- The ability to investigate issues, perform root cause analysis, and propose sustainable solutions is a required skill for the paid internship.
- Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
Benefits of the Microbiology Internship:
- Competitive hourly pay ($23–$26 USD)
- Hands-on experience in real-world Food Safety & Quality systems
- Exposure to digital quality platforms and consumer engagement programs
- Professional development, mentorship, and networking opportunities
- Hybrid work flexibility during the internship period
- Strong early-career learning foundation with McCain’s global operations
- Opportunities to build a career pathway within McCain Foods are the benefits of this Paid Internship


