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Dr Jo Head
A microbiologist by background, she has diverse food industry experience, over 23 years in primary processing, manufacture, distribution and retail, on an International platform. She held a range of senior technical positions within Sainsburys Supermarkets over 10 years, including development of the Hazard Analysis Risk Assessment (HARA) system, trouble-shooting food safety incidents and authoring of Best Manufacturing Practice Guidelines for new and traditional technologies (Ready to Eat salads (UK); Prepared Pineapple (Costa Rica); Traditional Cured & Fermented Meats (Chorizo - Spain; Milano salami and Parma Ham - Italy).
This was followed by a move to industry as Group Technical Director of a large red-meat food business for 9 years. This required development of an integrated corporate food safety and quality management system across autonomous sites, providing a blue-print for consultancy. As a consultant since 2007 (Head Consultancy) she has been involved in a range of projects with industry (UK & Africa), regulatory authorities such as the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and trade associations such as the British Meat Processors Association and British Retail Consortium.
She is passionate about challenging the status quo to deliver robust food safety and quality system improvement beyond certification, minimising risk and optimising business benefit. She is best known within the red-meat sector, specialising in risk-based slaughter hygiene and is a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Butchers.
She has most recently been engaged by Quorn Foods to modernise food safety and quality management systems to reflect new business ownership including implementation of 21st Century software solutions - QADEX for supplier Assurance and specification management and Q-Pulse electronic management system, to facilitate sustainable global expansion.
She is currently involved with a number of organisations to develop evidence-based 21st Century food safety, quality and legality platforms.
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Dr Evangelia Komitopoulou, Head of Food Safety, Leatherhead Food Research
Evangelia is recognized for her involvement in the development and validation of microbial detection and antimicrobial assay methodologies as well as the identification and evaluation of novel and natural antimicrobial systems used in food preservation. She has co-ordinated a number of research projects that cover different aspects of microbial physiology and behaviours in food and environmental systems. She has been actively involved in reviewing microbial recovery conditions following different stress applications and has managed a number of projects on microbial attachment on food contact surfaces and the role of quorum sensing on the initial steps of biofilm formation.
Evangelia is a member of the Microbiology Working Committee for British standards and a member of the New Emerging Microbiological Issues Expert Group on Persistence and survival of pathogens in dry food environments (ILSI Europe). For her scientific work in Salmonella detection methodology, Evangelia was honored with the ‘Innovations in Food Microbiology’ Silver Award during the 2001 annual meeting of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), USA.
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Dr Paul Berryman, Chief Executive, Leatherhead Food Research
Dr Berryman was appointed Chief Executive of Leatherhead Food Research on 1st January 2008, following two years as Leatherhead’s Research Director. A Chartered Chemist and Biologist, he has 30 years' experience in food science and food law, working in five different scientific consultancies including the Birmingham Public Analyst Laboratory, Clayton Environmental Consultants Ltd and Hampshire County Council's Scientific and Trading Standards Services. Paul sits on three BBSRC panels including Bioscience for Industry and DRINC – a £12m initiative to fund industry-relevant nutrition research at Universities. He also chairs the Government Chemist Advisory Group which oversees the referee food analysis function of the LGC.
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Kirsten Grinter, Regulatory & Scientific Affairs Manager (Nestlé Oceania); Allergen Bureau Management Committee Chairperson
Kirsten Grinter has several years experience working in Dairy (Unilever, Streets Ice Cream Division), Fats and Oils (Goodman Fielder, Meadow Lea Foods) and Cereals and Snacks (Uncle Tobys) industries both in Australia and New Zealand. Kirsten has worked in Product Development, Quality, Manufacturing, Research and Regulatory departments. Her current role is as Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Manager Nestlé where she has responsibility for a team of people who together manage regulatory and scientific affairs across the Oceania Business. Kirsten represents Nestlé on the Australian Food and Grocery Council’s (AFGC) Health Nutrition and Scientific Affairs Committee and takes part in many AFGC food industry working groups to drive solutions in the pre-competitive industry arena.
Kirsten has been involved with the Allergen Bureau at its inception in 2005 and has retained a significant interest in driving through industry allergen initiatives. Kirsten is the current chairperson of the Allergen Bureau Management Committee and is focussed on driving the VITAL risk assessment process, through the work of the Scientific Expert Panel, to gain international alignment and acceptance .Kirsten’s experience with allergen issues from manufacturing, regulation and through to contact with consumer groups gives a unique perspective with regard to the needs of the food industry and the allergic community.
Kirsten considers that working collaboratively with industry stakeholders, consumer groups and through Government initiated working groups to be the key for the industry to remain competitive and successful globally.
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Stephen Whyte, Business Development Director, QADEX
With almost 20 years' experience in the food industry at Kerry Foods & Samworth Brothers, Stephen is one of the founders of QADEX which launched in 2006. Following a period of rapid growth, QADEX comprises a team of 50 experienced professionals supporting over 9,000 customers globally from a Leicestershire base. With a mission to add value and make a difference QADEX Vision brings every aspect of food safety, quality management systems, compliance, customers and new product development together in one simple dashboard. Its unique user-friendly, real-time features allow technical managers to see at a glance how their operations are performing and, should a problem arise, identify corrective actions. As QADEX Business Development Director, Stephen is focussed on supporting the growing number of food companies implementing QADEX Vision throughout their businesses, developing key partner relationships and developing a growth strategy which ensures that QADEX continues to grow quickly and profitably.
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Matt Incles, Market Intelligence Manager, Leatherhead Food Research
Matt heads up the Market Intelligence department and has overall responsibility for producing Market Intelligence reports, conferences and consultancy projects. Matt has delivered a wide-range of consultancy projects for food industry clients and he is experienced at producing bespoke qualitative and quantitative research and analysis. Prior to joining Leatherhead Food Research, Matt worked as a Business Analyst for European Food and Farming Partnerships LLP where he built an in-depth knowledge of the UK food industry, government and industry bodies. Matt holds a BA (Hons) from the University of Birmingham and an MSc in International Business from Aston Business School. Matt is also a full member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
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Nicole Patterson, Principal Consumer Analyst, Leatherhead Food Research
Nicole is part of the Sensory and Consumer team having moved from Leatherhead’s Market Intelligence department at the beginning of 2007. Nicole’s role involves managing quantitative and qualitative research studies both in the UK and internationally. She has worked on global collaborative projects, various Members Forum projects including Consumer Attitudes to Food Packaging, Indulgence and Antioxidants, and regularly speaks at conferences and on training courses. After graduating in Business Administration, Nicole has 17 years of research experience spanning IT, sport and leisure, consumer products and retail industries. Nicole holds an MRS accreditation for focus group moderation, and MRS Certificates in Qualitative Research, Business Management and Marketing. In her spare time Nicole is a competitive Ironman triathlete, so nutrition and the function of food span both a work and lifestyle interest.
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Dr Angus Knight, Principal Consultant, Leatherhead Food Research
Angus is Principal Consultant at Leatherhead and a molecular biologist by background. Over the past ten years he has kept a watching brief over developments in genomics and its application to the perception of taste. He will provide an overview of how genomics research has increased our understanding of sensory perception and describe a new LFR forum study investigating the relationships between genotype and taste perception.
Angus has developed and managed a wide variety of R&D projects for the food sector on behalf of industry and public sector clients. This has included the development of the first UK GMO testing service, ICT for manufacturing efficiency, food processing, fat reduction, food authentication, and the detection of foodborne viruses. Angus has over twenty five years experience in R&D and is highly experienced in project management, technology translation and the engagement of industry. He has acted as a scientific referee for journals and grant applications, participated in government working groups, and acted as an expert witness in the high court.
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Cronan McNamara, Creme, Ireland
Cronan has a background Physics (BSc) and Computing (MSc), experience working in financial risk analysis and more than 12 years of experience in the field of probabilistic exposure assessment software, databases and services. Cronan worked on the EU FP5 Monte Carlo project in Trinity College Dublin developing new and more accurate methods and software for food safety exposure assessment. In 2005, Cronan co-founded Creme to further develop exposure and risk assessment software and methods, and to deliver these services to organisations internationally. Creme has developed new models, databases and software for consumer exposure and has worked with leading regulators, organisations and companies internationally on many areas including pesticides, additives, flavourings, packaging chemicals, nutritional intake modelling, cosmetics, personal care products and environmental exposure. Creme is also involved in EU Research Framework projects including as work package leader in the EU FP7 FACET project (Flavourings, Additives, Contact Materials Exposure Task) and as partner in the EU FP7 Food4Me project on personalised nutrition.
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Philip Randles, Member of the EFSA Task Force and Member of the Emerging Risks Team, Food Safety Group, Food Standards Agency
Philip joined the Chemical Safety Division of the Food Standards Agency in 2008 and has focussed, in particular, on developing and implementing methods and procedures for the detection of emerging food safety risks. With a background in biochemistry and food science, Philip has over 20 years experience of technical management in private industry with extensive knowledge of incident investigation, risk management and process improvement.
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