I like your post/question: challenging task but rewarding and huge benefit for the company.
Improvements in your Quality Assurance system mean improvement in a service called QA (which is a system operating already within the borders of your company)
Improvement for the improvement does not work, as neither improvements ''to satisfy a manager'' do,
Important question:
''Why you have been asked to do so'', as not knowing the root cause of such deep approach will lead to temporary improvements which will never ever stick when you turn your back (Is it a Company strategy or top manager agenda?).
Any improvement areas identified should be approached based on ''impact-effort'' matrix (time is a factor that should not be ignored at all) and taking into account that food safety and legality is above anything!
Quick wins feed you fuel to continue!
I would suggest to read a few books prior to doing any improvements as I think you need to deeply understand a few terms (see below) but above all the philosophy.
Terms to know - Value added, non value added and non necessary process. The first should be enhanced while the latter must be eliminated.
Books to read:
Staying lean: by Hines
Lean toolbox: by John Bicheno
Kaizen: by Imai
Lean toolbox for Service Systems by John Bicheno
One of the tools in the books above is called 5S (sort, straighten, shine, standarise, sustain) a well known tool for making a place extremely clean and standardised on everything (everything in place and a place for everything)
I am here to help more if you would like!