UK Government Chemist conference to take place on 23 – 24 June as a virtual event

The Government Chemist conference, ‘Safe food for tomorrow’s world’ will take place online on 23 and 24 June 2021.

This conference was originally scheduled to take place in June 2020 and was postponed to June 2021 as a consecuence of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, considering current ongoing restrictions for public events, it has been decided to proceed with the organisation of this conference as an online event.

The conference will be opened by Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Adviser, Defra after a brief introduction by Dr Julian Braybrook, Government Chemist.

Scientists, regulators, enforcement agencies, industry and policy makers are invited to join the Government Chemist on a virtual platform to discuss future challenges in the manufacturing, packaging, retailing and testing of food that is safe and consumers can trust.

The conference programme will include talks on national and international perspectives on food fraud and food integrity assurance, advances and challenges in allergen testing, and health implications for consumers.

The programme is still in development, and this page will be updated as the speakers and titles are confirmed. You can reserve your place at the event now, and you can sign up for alerts to keep up-to-date with changes in the programme.

Conference programme

23 June, Session 1: Perspectives on current situation and future outlook

• Welcome address by the Government Chemist, Julian Braybrook
• Keynote lecture – Gideon Henderson, CSA, Defra
• Referee cases outcomes- Paul Hancock, LGC
• Food crime – Darren Davies, Food Crime Unit
• The Public Analyst Service – the Future – Jane White, Association of Public Analysts

23 June, Session 2: Regulation for a global market

• Implications of digital technology on enforcement, compliance, policy and legislation – Julie Pierce, FSA
• TBC – Geoff Ogle, FSS
• US Perspectives on Harnessing Measurement Science to Advance Food Safety – Katrice Lippa, NIST
• TBC – Hong Kong Government Chemist
• TBC – Jessica Burke, British Retail Consortium

24 June, Session 3: Science for improved health outcomes

• TBC – Ian Young, Queen University Belfast
• Current perspectives on food toxicology- Stella Cochrane, Unilever
• TBC – Milena Quaglia, LGC
• TBC – Selvarani Elahi and Christopher Hopley, LGC
• TBC – Edward Haynes, Fera

24 June, Session 4: Novel solutions for food authenticity and sustainability

• TBC – Title and speaker to be confirmed
• Genetically Modified Organisms – Malcolm Burns, LGC
• Desirability and plausibility of meat alternatives – Barbara van Mierlo, Wageningen UR
• TBC – Title and speaker to be confirmed

The conference will also include opportunities for discussion and networking.