Two Decades of Detecting and Preventing Food Fraud: 2015 – 2035

Introduction: Professor Chris Elliott, PhD, FRSC, MRIA, OBE - Queens University Belfast

Chris is the founder of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast and is a Honorary Professor there now. He is also Professor of Food Security at Thamassat University in Thailand. He has published over 600 peer-reviewed articles on the detection and control of agriculture, food, and environmental-related contaminants. Chris led the independent review of Britain’s food system following the 2013 horsemeat scandal and now acts as a scientific advisor for a range of United Nations Agencies, governments, and industries on a range of food security topics. 

Over the years Chris has developed a high level network of collaborators across Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia. He is a recipient of a Winston Churchill Fellowship and is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Royal Society of Biology. Chris has received numerous prizes and awards for his work such as the Royal Society of Chemistry Theophilus Redwood Prize and an OBE in 2017. He was elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy in 2020 and became Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in 2021 and Honorary President of the Society of Food Hygiene and Technology in 2023.

Sophie Rollinson - Food Authenticity Programme Manager, Agri-Food Chain Directorate, Defra

Sophie is a scientist in Defra’s Agri-Food Chain Directorate and manages the Government’s Food Authenticity Research Programme, which develops methods to detect food fraud and support enforcement of food labelling and standards rules. Sophie has over 20 year experience in various government roles at Defra and FSA covering food standards and labelling, microbiological food safety and food authenticity.

Andrew Quinn - Deputy Director FSA National Food Crime Unit

Andrew Quinn is Head of the National Food Crime Unit within the Food Standards Agency. He is a former Police Officer with 30 years of service in Nottinghamshire Police, National Crime Squad, Serious Organised Crime Agency and the National Crime Agency. As a Regional Head of Investigations in the NCA he led national and international serious organised crime investigations across a variety of crime threats. In October 2018 he joined the Food Standards Agency where he continues to develop the law enforcement capabilities of the National Food Crime Unit to address threats posed by serious fraud within food supply chains.

Emmanuelle Lerges - Food Industry Intelligence Network / Tesco

Clare Menezes - President, INSCATECH®

Clare Menezes is President of INSCATECH®, serving in this capacity as an external consultant through CMM Advisory Ltd. She is a globally recognized specialist in food integrity, fraud prevention, and regulatory compliance, with over 30 years’ experience spanning both public and private sectors. Clare holds a BSc in Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Physiology from Reading University, UK, and is a registered Food Safety Principle (RFoodSP), recognized by the Institute of Food Science and Technology. Her previous role as Senior Director of Food Integrity at McCormick & Company saw her lead global initiatives in food fraud mitigation and product verification, including oversight of McCormick’s Global Centres of Analytical Science and exploration of emerging technologies to safeguard authenticity and safety. Earlier in her career, Clare served as a Public Analyst with Severn Trent Water and as Company Microbiologist at Tate & Lyle Sugars. Today, through her consultancy, she continues to apply her expertise across the ingredients supply chain, championing best practices and innovative solutions to protect consumer trust.

Selvarani Elahi - Executive Director, Food Authenticity Network

Selvarani Elahi MBE is the UK Deputy Government Chemist and is the Executive Director of the Food Authenticity Network. Selvarani has over 30 years’ experience in food and agricultural analysis working across a variety of policy areas to improve standards in measurement science

Stephen French - Scientific Policy Director, IFST; Adjunct Associate Professor at Indiana University School of Public Health; Director Scientific Intelligence Ltd.

Stephen is responsible for leading IFST policy development and engagement on scientific and technical issues, and policy relevant to IFST mission in education, skills and professional recognition; liaising with key government departments from the UK nations, key opinion leaders, and food sector industry leaders to support the IFST mission. In addition, Stephen consults with the food sector and academic institutes to support scientific, policy, strategy and innovation.

Since graduating from University of Sheffield with a BSc. (Hons) in Physiology and a Ph.D. in Gastrointestinal Physiology and Nutrition, Stephen had an academic career in research and teaching prior to joining Mars Inc.  During his time with Mars Inc., Stephen worked in a variety of research and Scientific and Regulatory Affairs roles for the organisation in European and Global roles, and in Confectionery, Food, and Petfood sectors of the business.  Stephen is now also Adjunct Associate Professor at Indiana School of Public Health.

Chair: Sterling Crew - Chair of FAN Steering Board / IFST Immediate Past President

Sterling is a public health / food safety advocate and commentator and is an experienced food sector director Currently he holds a portfolio of board positions including: Trustee of the Institute of Food Science and Technology and Trustee of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. Member of the Food Fraud Advisory Committee of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). Vice Chair on the governance advisory board of Safe Bites (Jamaica). Co-Founder of Kitchen Conversation. Managing Director of SQS. Vice Chair of the Safe to Trade governance board and a member of the technical board. Moreover, he also sits on the audit governance board at Eurofins. Sterling is Scientific and Regulatory Advisor for the sustainability organisations OLIO, The British Lion Mark and Highfield. He also sits on the Advisory Board of New Food Magazine and the CIEH food advisory panel and IFST Food Safety SIG.

Sterling has over 40years experience of working in the food industry in the fields of food safety, governance, compliance, horizon scanning, sustainability and innovation. He started his career in government before a successful track history in retailing with Marks and Spencer and Tesco. He has also worked in the branded environment for Coca -Cola and Disney and as a Technical Director at two food manufacturers. With experience as a regulator, retailer and manufacturer he has a unique perspective on the development of the global food supply network