Zoë Shuttlewood

What has been your main involvement in food safety professionally?

I have worked for several food manufacturers throughout my career and at each of them I have had a level of involvement with the site HACCP team, from team member to team leader. This has been the foundation of my work in food safety and has supported the journey to my current role within the EMEA food safety team at McCormick. In this role I provide food safety governance across the region, focusing on integrated food safety and integrity systems, which is important to me. The landscape of food safety hazards is ever evolving and it is important that our management systems evolve to meet the challenges of these emerging concerns. 

How have you obtained the skills necessary to support your successful involvement with food safety?

Over the years, one of the things I have come to realise is just how diverse learning new, and building on existing skills, can be and everyone has their own learning style.  My style has been a mixture of participating in traditional courses, in topics such as HACCP and allergen management, and attending industry/food safety focused conferences, and keeping up to date on the latest research via ‘Food Science and Technology’ magazine and ‘International Journal of Food Science and Technology’.  I have seen an increase, recently, in short webinars on a variety of subjects including food fraud and testing methodology. I have found these particularly useful as they can often be slotted in around the day job. Last, but certainly not least, the practical support and interaction with my peers and mentors, including those within non-technical roles, have ensured that I have the necessary skills to be successful as a food safety professional.  As with many aspects of the food industry collaboration with peers is key.  When I joined the food safety team, I was encouraged by my manager to join the IFST Register of Food Safety Professionals to gain recognition of my previous work in field and to support visibility within the business. It is my intention to apply for the next level on the register (Food Safety Manager) in the coming months.

How have you seen food safety management change over time?

During my career to date, I have seen a shift from very focused CCP HACCP systems to a much more integrated system encompassing controls within prerequisite programs which help drive food safety, from the foundation of the system rather than a single point. We are still looking at the same types of hazards but we are getting smarter at the way we control them, incorporating advances in technology.  As concerns emerge, in areas such as food fraud and food security, I think we will be challenged to think about certain types of hazards in a different way. They may be more generalised so it is important we continue the trend of integrated systems and controls as it will help manage the ‘we don’t know what we don’t know’.

What advice would you give to someone starting to get involved with food safety management?

My key pieces of advice include working at building good working relationships with your peers across all functions. It is likely that there will be occasions when you will have to make difficult (and sometimes unpopular) decisions to ensure food safety, so having those relationships in place can certainly make those conversations go a little easier. Maintain your professional integrity, it is one of your most important assets. Finally find your own style, but bear in mind you may need to adapt this depending on your audience, remembering that not everyone is going to know or understand things to the level you do. A career in food safety management is going to be diverse and challenging but ultimately very rewarding.

How important is educating school children about food safety and what do you believe is the best approach?

I think educating school children about food safety is a must. So many cases of food borne illness are caused by handling practices in the home. We need to get the younger generation involved so they understand their role in preventing food safety issues. The basics can be taught in a very practical way, such as hand washing, storing raw and cooked foods separately, and basic temperature control. Given the confusion surrounding date codes, and the difference between a ‘Best Before’ and ‘Use By’ dates, including these will help improve, not just food safety, but food waste too.