Speaker Biographies

David Reading OBE: Co-Founder and Vice President of Anaphylaxis Campaign

David Reading is a former journalist who owns and manages a UK-based company called Food Allergy Support Ltd. The organisation was set up to offer information, guidance and allergy-related training to the food industry.

David’s work with allergy began in January 1994 when he co-founded the Anaphylaxis Campaign after his 17-year-old daughter Sarah died from an allergic reaction to peanuts. As Director of the organisation, he built up strong contacts throughout the food industry and was awarded an OBE for his allergy work in 2005. David retired from full-time work with the Campaign at the end of 2009, but has retained a role with the charity providing information for its corporate members. He has the honorary title of Vice President of the organisation.

Prof. Steve Taylor, PhD: Director of the Food Allergy Research & Resource Program, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA

Steve L. Taylor, Ph.D. currently serves as Professor in the Dept. of Food Science & Technology and Director of the Food Allergy Research & Resource Program at the University of Nebraska.  Dr. Taylor maintains an active research program in the area of food allergies. 

Dr. Taylor received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in food science and technology from Oregon State University and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California - Davis.  He received additional training in environmental toxicology and nutrition through postdoctoral training programs at the University of California - Davis.  Before coming to the University of Nebraska in 1987 to assume his present position, Dr. Taylor served for 3 years as Chief of the Food Toxicology Laboratory at Letterman Army Institute of  Research in San Francisco and 9 years as a faculty member with the Food Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin.  

Dr. Taylor’s primary research interests involve the development of methods for the detection of residues of allergenic foods, the determination of the minimal eliciting doses for specific allergenic foods, the assessment of the allergenicity of ingredients derived from allergenic sources, and the assessment of the allergenicity of foods produced through agricultural biotechnology.  He has published research on peanut, soybean, Brazil nut, almond, and cows’ milk allergies among a total of over 250 publications. 

Dr. Taylor is involved in a variety of other professional activities including serving as a member of the Adverse Reactions to Foods Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology, as a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, and as a scientific advisor to the Celiac Sprue Association.

Dr Rachel Ward: Scientific Regulatory Affairs Manager, PepsiCo Intl. 

Dr Rachel Ward is a scientific regulatory affairs manager for PepsiCo International, engaged in development of risk management programmes and regulatory compliance guidance, with specific responsibility for allergens and contaminants.

She has a BSc (Hons) in Applied Biochemistry and gained a PhD from the University of Nottingham developing and studying in vitro toxicology models.  Since then, she has worked within the PepsiCo International organisation providing technical support for labelling strategies, and risk management issues in supply chain and manufacturing operations, such as allergens and agricultural contaminants, as well as supporting overall incident management.  

An active member of food industry bodies, particularly in the areas of food allergens, member of the ILSI Europe Food Allergy task force and current chair of the UK Food and Drink Federation Allergen Steering Group.

Sue Hattersley: Head of Food Allergy Branch, Food Standards Agency

Sue has a BSc Pharmacology (Hons), from the University of Manchester and a Diploma in Toxicology from the Royal College of Pathologists. She worked for 6 years in the UK Department of Health, and was responsible for the safety assessments of food additives and contaminants. For some of this time, she was Secretary to the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment, an independent expert committee that advises the UK Government on food safety issues. She then moved to work as the Secretary to the independent expert committee, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes, responsible for the safety assessments of novel and genetically modified foods.

Since 2002, she has been Head of Food Allergy branch in the UK Food Standards Agency and is responsible for policy on all aspects of food allergy (other than clinical diagnosis and management), including:

• Negotiating and implementing legislation on labelling of food allergens;
• Development of best practice guidance for food businesses and enforcement officers, including on management of allergen cross contamination and the provision of allergen information for unpackaged foods;
• Assessing the risks posed by incidents involving incorrect or misleading food allergen labelling and information;Commissioning and managing a programme of clinical and other research to investigate a number of issues, including the prevalence and mechanisms of food allergy and factors affecting the thresholds and sensitivity of reaction to food proteins. 
• Providing advice and guidance for consumers and other stakeholders.

Tony Hines MBE, FIFST, MICPEM. Head of Food Security and Crisis Management Manager, Leatherhead Food Research

Tony Hines is Head of Food Security and Crisis Management Manager at Leatherhead Food Research. Crisis Management Consultancy services and training courses have been run in the UK, Spain, Ireland and around the world as far afield as South America, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, the United States and many European countries. Private clients include many of the Europe's top ten food and drinks manufacturers. Tony has studied the relationship between the media and the food industry over a number of years. He has over 20 years of experience in delivering training programs in a lively and unforgettable format and has worked at LFI for over 35 years.

In 2008 Tony was appointed as Chairman of the Anaphylaxis Campaign a national charity for people with severe allergies. He is a Member of the Institute of Civil Protection and Emergency Management. Recently, Tony has been a contractor to the Food Standards Agency on issues associated with the susceptibility and vulnerability of various food supply chains to intentional contamination.

Tony’s MBE is for services to the community.

Appointed as Head of Food Security in January 2010, Tony will be investigating the role of Leatherhead in all strategic issues associated with the long term requirements of food security and the role that Leatherhead needs to play in this important area.

Simon Flanagan: Head of Speciality Analysis & Food Allergen Services, Reading Scientific Services Ltd.

Simon is a biochemist by training who more latterly specialised in immunology. He has spent the last 25 years working within the food industry in roles spanning various sectors and functions (R&D, Quality and Analytical). It was whilst working for a large European infant foods manufacturer that he first became involved in the analysis and management of food allergens in the factory.

Simon currently works for Reading Scientific Services Ltd, where he heads up their Food Safety Consultancy Group. He is a specialist in food allergens and provides technical consultancy and training to numerous blue chip manufacturers and retailers. Simon is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science & Technology and active member of a number of professional bodies and industry groups (FDF, CIAA, EFSA, MoniQA etc). He has also published several papers on the analytical measurement of food allergens and allergen risk assessment. In 2010 Simon was voted ‘Trainer of the Year’ by the Society of Food Hygiene and Technology for the development of a series of allergen workshops.     

Prof. Claire Mills: Institute of Food Research, UK

Studies: BSc in Biochemistry (Bristol, UK), 1979; PhD Biochemistry (University of Kent at Canterbury, UK), 1984.

Appointments: 1979-1980, Glaxo Group Research, Ware, UK; 1983-1984, UK Environment and Toxicology Division, Department of Health, Medical, UK; 1985-present, Institute of Food Research, UK. 2009 Honorary Chair Dept Pharmacy, University of East Anglia. Visiting Professor, Wageningen University, Netherlands

Other:

2001 Member of Royal Society Expert Group on Genetically Modified Organisms for Food Use.

2005-2009 Self-task Allergenicty working group of the EFSA GMO panel

2006-present Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes

2007-present BBSRC DRINC Initiative Steering Group

2009-present BBSRC Committee C

Research Interests

I lead the BBSRC Institute Strategic Programme Grant on Food Structure and Health and was co-ordinator of the EU project EuroPrevall. My personal research interests are focused on structure-function relationships in food proteins particularly with regards what makes some proteins, and not others, become allergens.

Dr Helen Brown

Dr Helen Brown is the Biochemistry Section Manager at Campden-BRI. The Biochemistry Section comprises a Biochemistry Group and a Molecular Biology Group working in the areas of food safety, the impact of processing and storage chemistry on food quality and food authenticity testing. Selected key areas of interest/ongoing work include:

• food allergens: assessment and comparison of available methods of analysis and the application of allergen testing methods to assist the food industry in allergen management and the validation of cleaning to remove allergens.
• optimisation of enzyme systems for use in time temperature integrators for process validation.
• antioxidants: measurement methods (ORAC and total phenols) and approaches to maximising and maintaining levels in foods to enhance product shelf life.
• authenticity: development and application of protein and DNA based tests for authentication of fish, meat and fruit species.

Andrew Seager

Andy is professionally qualified Food Science & Technology Expert, with more than 30 years’ experience in the food industry.  Specialising in; The Design, Engineering and Optimisation of production processes, Innovation Project Management and Quality Management Systems. 

His technical experience is complimented by a broad range of general business management skills developed during 18 years working in a variety of management roles within MARS. 

In 2006 Andy set up his own business, Food Process Consulting Ltd, and now specialises in providing Consultancy and Interim Management services to the wider food industry. 

Andy is a member of the IFST and a Midland Branch committee member.

Anton J. Alldrick

Anton Alldrick is a Special Projects Manager based in the Science Division of Campden-BRI, the world’s largest, independent, membership-based food research and development organisation.

He studied at the University of London (1973 – 1980), gaining a BSc. in Biochemistry and a PhD in Pharmacy. After working as a regulatory and research toxicologist in research laboratories based in the UK, US and Switzerland, he joined Campden BRI in 1990, where he has held a number of management positions before being appointed as a Special Projects Manager. In his current position he provides consultancy and project management services in the areas of safety & quality management, product/process design and optimisation as well as the application of developments in nutrition and toxicology to the food industry. His current activities focus on food allergens, mycotoxins and functional foods.

He is a trained lead assessor and has experience both as a factory inspector and independent expert in commercial and legal disputes. He has also written and lectured on various aspects of food safety management for both industrial and scientific audiences.

Diane Thraves: Technical Support Officer, Nottingham Trent University

Diane has worked directly in the food industry for over 17 years, in roles primarily relating to quality, hygiene and training. She has gained widespread knowledge of many different commodities, organisations and for most of her career, has been employed in Quality Management roles.  She has also worked within the associated industries of scientific laboratories, packaging and catering.

In more recent years, she has had the opportunity to develop her training skills to a higher level, being employed in roles that have involved the delivery of a wide range of training courses.  She is a CIEH registered trainer (delivering food safety courses at levels 2, 3 and 4) and is an Associate member of the Institute for Learning.  She currently works for Nottingham Trent University as a Technical Support Officer.  In her role, she supports food companies by conducting analysis, trials work and assisting in the development of food safety plans.

She is responsible for the organisation and promotion of food related short course provision and training course delivery.