The safefood Knowledge Network moves into an exciting new phase, complete with a group of experts to guide the way.
In all areas of the food industry, food safety is the key element that underpins food production, ensuring that consumer expectations and the highest levels of public health protection are met.
Since it was established in 1999, the Food Safety Promotion Board (safefood) has promoted the awareness and knowledge of food safety all across the island.
To facilitate this, the original Knowledge Network (KN) programme was launched in 2011. Its aim was to encourage collaboration and facilitate greater knowledge sharing by those involved in all parts of the food supply chain.
The Network keep members up to date on food safety issues and trends, and also encourages shared learnings and discussion of emerging food safety risks and potential solutions. Members can avail of events, briefings, workshops, newsletters and the website (http://www.safefoodkn.eu), and have access to new resources, videos and webinars.
In 2016 safefood assembled a group of experts from industry, research and public health. It helped to guide the Knowledge Network activities and advised on topics such as training and supports, new services for members and insights around food safety risks.
To date the Knowledge Network has been a huge success (see panel) and in 2019 it steps into a new era, building on the achievements of the 2016-2019 programme. The new programme will cover a wide variety of food safety areas as well as broader topics which may impact on food safety, such as trade and economic issues, climate change and sustainability.
The key objectives for the 2019-2022 Knowledge network programme are:
1 To raise awareness and provide opportunities for the sharing and learning of best practice food safety knowledge on the island of Ireland
2 To further develop multi-disciplinary and cross-jurisdictional working relationships between food safety professionals operating across food production, academia and other public bodies-based sectors
3 To provide an accessible source of expertise for safefood with a view to exploring existing concerns, identifying emerging issues in food safety and enhancing our in-house evidence base.
4 To promote cooperation, collaboration and synergies between professionals in the food safety arena throughout the island of Ireland.
The Expert Group is an important part of achieving these aims. It provides a broad range of professional services to help further develop the Knowledge Network and its activities. safefood has gathered together a diverse panel of experts in areas including food microbiology, food trade, environmental health and food hypersensitivity, to share their knowledge and passion for food safety. With an ambitious Knowledge Network plan laid out from now until 2022, the aim is to help make the whole food industry better – and safer - for all.
Meet The Knowledge Network Expert Group
Ms Jenny Morris - Chair
Jenny Morris is an independent food safety consultant with considerable experience of working in both the public and private sectors. Her particular expertise is in working with small catering businesses, applying her knowledge from working as an environmental health officer, trained chef and manager of a small catering business.
Professor Chris Elliott
Chris is Professor of Food Safety and founder of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast. He has published more than 400 peer review articles and his main research interests are in the development of innovative techniques to provide early warning of threats across complex food supply systems.
Dr Rachael Singleton
Rachael Singleton has 12 years’ policy and legislation experience. She is a Behavioural Scientist in the Northern Ireland Public Sector Innovation Lab. Here, she tackles difficult to resolve policy and societal issues by bringing innovative thinking from a behavioural science perspective.
Mr Michael Bell
Michael has over thirty-four years’ experience in food. He started his career in the bakery industry in Northern Ireland and Malta. He has a primary honours Degree in Food Science and is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (FIFST). Michael is currently Vice President of the Institute of Food Science and Technology.
Mr Stephane Durand
Stephane Durand has been working for the agri-food industry in the UK for the last 24 years and has been working for 10 years for Moy Park. Recently, he led a successful bid with QUB for the EIT Food KIC, a large pan-European Competence Centre for the development of entrepreneurs and start-ups, young graduates, new innovations in the area of food and agriculture.
Dr Kieran Jordan
Dr. Kieran Jordan worked in the microbial food safety at the Food Safety Department at Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork. Although now retired, he has a continued interest in bridging the knowledge gap in microbiology between research and the food industry. He has been involved in the safefood Knowledge Networks since 2011.
Dr Hazel Gowland
Hazel is an expert patient advocate, researcher and trainer for Allergy Action and is a visiting fellow of the University of Southampton School of Medicine. Hazel has had severe allergies to nuts and peanuts since early childhood and established Allergy Action, a research and training consultancy in 2000. In 2018 she was awarded a PhD for a thesis on food allergy.
Mr Eddie O Neill
Eddie O’Neill has a great deal of expertise primarily associated with artisan/speciality food. Based in Moorepark in Cork he is part of a team that works in the ‘Food Industry Development Dept’ which is located at the Ashtown Research centre in Dublin. Eddie has also been involved in the development of a range of award winning food products.
Ms Irene Collins
Irene has more than forty years’ experience in the catering and retail sectors and is currently the managing director of Excellence Ireland Quality Association (EIQA). Irene is also interested in the environment and sustainability and is currently a non-executive director of ELVES (producer compliance scheme for end of life vehicles operating in Ireland).
Mr Declan Ferguson
Declan studied Food Science in Queens University Belfast and spent over 10 years’ in London working for Marks & Spencer as a Technologist. In 2010, Declan moved to the Technical and Development teams in Tesco Ireland & Northern Ireland. A role at Genesis Crafty in Magherafelt followed and in 2014, Declan joined Finnebrogue Artisan where there is a consistent drive to ensure the best products in the market place.
The Knowledge Network Expert Group
Back row left to right: Dr Hazel Gowland, Dr Kieran Jordan, Mr Stephane Durand, Prof Chris Elliott, Mr Eddie O Neill, Mr Declan Ferguson and Mr Michael Bell
Front row left to right: Ms Irene Collins, Dr Rachael Singleton, Ms Jenny Morris - Chair
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