Draft Programme (Expand/Collapse Details)
Chaired by: Dr Jo Head, Consultant and Co-Chair of the Food Safety Forum and Dr Evangelia Komitopoulou, Head of Food Safety, Leatherhead Food Research
09.00
REGISTRATION & REFRESHMENTS
09.30
Welcome Dr Evangelia Komitopoulou, Head of Food Safety, Leatherhead Food Research
09.45
Welcome Note Dr Paul Berryman, CEO, Leatherhead Food Research
10.00
Food Safety Management Systems - The Industry Perspective
Dr Bizhan Pourkomailian, Senior Food Safety and Social Accountability Manager, McDonald's Europe
10.30
Risk Management - Practical Applications in the Food Industry Cronan McNamara, Crème, Ireland
11.00
REFRESHMENTS & NETWORKING
11.30
Consumer Confidence around Food Safety Issues
12.00
Managing Food Allergen Risks in Industry - The VITAL Approach
12.30
The Food Industry Response to a Major Food Poisoning Outbreak
13.00
LUNCH & NETWORKING
14.00
Food Poisoning Outbreaks Associated with Low-moisture Foods - Systematic Evaluation of Heat Resistance and Survival of Food-borne Pathogens in Low-moisture Foods Dr Evangelia Komitopoulou, Head of Food Safety, Leatherhead Food Research
14.30
Effectiveness of Disinfectants and Sanitisers Against Human Noroviruses Dr Angus Knight, Principal Scientists, Leatherhead Food Research
15.00
Outbreak Investigation - The Government Approach Philip Randles, Member of the EFSA Task Force and Member of the Emerging Risks Team, Food Safety Group, Food Standards Agency
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 is currently working with Quorn Foods to modernise food safety and quality management systems to reflect new business ownership and facilitate sustainable global expansion.
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.
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.
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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