Leo Stevenson

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE RECOGNISED AS VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK

Any recognition is always most welcome!

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE A MEMBER OF A BODY LIKE IFST?

Being a member of a professional body is important, it forces us to ask questions and discuss with colleagues what we mean by professional standards and best practice. I’ve always found IFST a useful forum for engaging discussion and for highlighting the current challenges needing to be addressed (both in industry and academia).

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE THINKING ABOUT A CAREER IN FOOD SCIENCE

Some of the pressing global food challenges we are all facing are making working in food science increasingly more important and increasingly more interesting. I’ve been lucky to find all my food-related roles in both academia and industry stimulating and would suggest to anyone considering a career in food science that their working and professional life will be full of interesting challenges.

WHAT DID YOU GAIN MOST FROM YOUR RECENT EXPERIENCE OF WORKING IN SINGAPORE?

I’ve gained a much more ‘global perspective’ on foods. Seeing how different societies and cultures interact with foods (the types of foods eaten and the wider food-related behaviours) to how foods are produced and marketed in a very different part of the world has been an education and a very positive experience for me.

TELL US SOMETHING THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW

I have a tenuous connection to the now defunct ‘milk bottle of the week’ web-site (which used to feature old glass milk bottles with printed designs and adverts – which you don’t see anymore). With my expanding collection of food science-related mugs, perhaps there is a gap for a ‘food science mug of the week’ web-site?

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