New members of microbiological committee

Lord Jeff Rooker, the Chair of the Food Standards Agency, has announced four new appointments to the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF).

The ACMSF provides the Agency with independent advice on the microbiological safety of food.

The new members, appointed until 31 March 2015, are:

• Dr Roy Betts, Head of Food Microbiology, Campden BRI
• Ms Jenny Hopwood, Company Microbiologist, Marks & Spencer
• Dr Goutam Adak, Head of Epidemiological Services, Health Protection Services
• Professor Jim Gray, Professor of Clinical Virology, University of East Anglia

Dr Roy Betts is responsible for managing a food microbiology team involved in research and testing and is routinely involved in food industry crisis management situations.

Ms Jenny Hopwood is responsible for the microbiological food safety of Marks & Spencer foods. She has worked extensively in protein and produce agriculture, chilled and frozen food processing and worked with many different food manufacturing processors in the food industry.

Dr Goutam Adak is responsible for managing and developing national surveillance systems for infectious intestinal disease, epidemiological research and investigation of foodborne disease outbreaks.

Professor Gray has extensive experience in clinical virology and virological and microbiological research. He also has experience in quality assurance within a diagnostic laboratory, molecular microbiology and RNA virus evolution.

Mrs Rosie Glazebrook, a consumer representative, has also been reappointed to the committee. Her appointment is until 31 March 2014.

http://acmsf.food.gov.uk/