Food Safety Briefing: your chance to quiz experts
The 90-minute webinar, which is sponsored by RSSL and chaired by chief executive of Campden BRI Steven Walker, features two Q&A sessions, which follow presentations from experts in their fields.
In addition to the chance to put your questions to the speakers, participants will be able to hear the exclusive results of Food Manufacture's Food Safety Survey of the food industry. The anonymous research lays bare responses from food and drink manufacturing staff, covering current food safety practices and challenges.
Topics covered in the survey include the impact of Brexit, the threat of terrorism and cyberterrorism, managing audits, issues raised by allergens and the challenges posed to food safety from reformulating products to make them healthier.
New era for food standards
Food Safety Briefing: 2020 and beyond: a new era for food standards includes presentations from a range of speakers.
Gary Ridgewell, head of technical at Sleaford Quality Food, will examine some of the common fake variants substituted for common herbs and spices as well as how to be alert to such substitutions. He will also cover methods for detecting food fraud in batches of such products.
His presentation should also provide insights for companies concerned about the authenticity of a range of products and ingredients.
Allergens
Aside from Ridgewell, other speakers will include Barbara Hirst, consultant, food safety & quality at RSSL. Hirst will look at the challenges posed by allergens in the food chain, with reference to cross-contamination and the challenges of this for plant-based and free-from food production.
Dr Derek Watson from the University of Sunderland will address the subject ‘Being watched: fostering a food safety culture and managing audits’. The topic is particularly pertinent in view of the recent launch in the food chain of audits based on BRC version 8, which stresses the creation of a food safety work culture.
Dr Roy Betts, head of microbiology at Campden BRI, will focus on how emerging science is addressing the threat posed by pathogens in production facilities. Dr Betts’ presentation will consider developments in rapid in-line testing, whole genome sequencing and how to deal with biofilms at plant level.
