Food Safety Briefing: Weak Links in The Chain 6 October

Food safety systems at factory level have been tested like never before as food and drink manufacturers have navigated their way through the perfect storm of Brexit and COVID-19.

The pandemic’s impact may have lessened. But as Christmas demand builds, the Brexit effect causes supply chain disruption and the skills shortage remains a constant challenge, it’s vital that production managers and technical staff stay alert to their vulnerabilities.

Food Safety Briefing: Weak Links in The Chain​​ will cover emerging global supply chain risks, how robust your audit and HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points) management is the latest developments in allergen management and detection. It is aimed at technical managers, food safety and quality managers, operations managers, production managers and senior business leaders. There will be four speakers, followed by a live Q&A panel debate fielding delegates' questions. Delegates can register for free.

Speakers​

Speakers include independent food safety consultant Alec Kyriakides and Barbara Hirst, food safety and quality consultant, Reading Scientific Services Limited (RSSL), which is also the main sponsor.

Kyriakides will address the topic, 'Can you trust your HACCP plan?'. He was head of quality, safety and supplier performance at Sainsbury’s for 28 years. He now works as an independent consultant to the food industry, advising businesses large and small on all aspects of food safety and quality management. He is a board trustee of the Institute of Food Science and Technology, a non-executive board director of Campden BRI and a member of the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food.

Hirst will examine how allergen legislation is changing, plus some of the latest advances in allergen testing and tracing and how to prevent cross-contamination. She has worked in her current team since 2014 and was previously the laboratory manager of the RSSL department of DNA and Protein which is responsible for the analytical testing for allergens. During this time, she also supported manufacturing sites to advise on sampling and testing options and interpretation of results.

She has worked at RSSL since 1998 and was responsible for growing the analytical testing service in the area of allergens as well as more recently working to grow the consultancy offering. Barbara now has extensive experience in partnering with clients to understand the issues they have with allergen control, and provide them with targeted support through factory visits and training, as well as making recommendations around analytical testing.

In addition to being sponsored by RSSL, this virtual event is supported by Hillbrush and Munters.