Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• Full Professor, Food Risk Analysis and Regulatory Policies; • Food Standards and Food Regulatory Expert at the Domestic and International Level. • President International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) - 2024-26 • Senior Expert Advisor on Food Standards, China's National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment (2015-2022) as part of the 523 Capacity Development Program - People's Republic Of China. • Senior Food Regulatory Advisor, with international organizations such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank on targeted capacity building initiatives in food safety and nutrition regulatory policy development . • Founding Member, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Global Food Regulatory Science Society (GFoRSS) a non-for-profit, organization aimed at promoting food regulatory science and capacity building in this area internationally. • Served as member of the Board of Director of AOAC INTERNATIONAL, co-founding member of the Arab Section and South West Pacific Section • Former Government Executive / Senior Food Regulator at the Executive level in Canada. Former FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission Vice-Chair (2011-2014). • Network and Consensus builder, promoting the development and dissemination of Food Regulatory Sciences. • Over 15 years experience as a food regulator and leader of science-based organizations. • First-hand experience in managing and leading multi-disciplinary research and science-based organisations – from 10 to 400 team members- with a focus on result-based operational performance. • Strong leadership in mobilizing teams and in developing and sustaining partnerships domestically and internationally to support research and capacity development in food safety and nutrition program delivery and food standard setting • Team builder - communicates fluently in French, English and Arabic, with knowledge of Spanish and Hebrew • Interested in roles enabling partnership development, international collaborations, research management and academic excellence in diverse and multi-disciplinary environments. • Areas of teaching / lecturing / research: food science, food risk analysis (assessment, management and communication), food regulatory policy formulation, food safety capacity building, food allergen management, contaminants in food, food quality and certification systems
President, International Union Food Science and Technology 2024- The International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), a country-membership organisation, is the global voice of food science and technology. It is the only representative for the discipline of Food Science and Technology elected into the International Science Council (ISC) by its inter-disciplinary peers. It is a voluntary, non-profit federation of national food science organisations linking the world’s food scientists and technologists.
IUFoST enjoys the position of “Observer” in the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) and has ever since been contributing to Codex discussions in support of the establishment and implementation of food safety and quality standards internationally. The IUFoST Codex Committee aims to better define and recommend IUFoST’s contributions to Codex proceedings, including efforts to promote the adoption and implementation of Codex standards. The IUFoST Codex Committee aims to promote the leadership of IUFoST in: Offering food science and technology principles, knowledge base and solutions in support of the development of Codex guidance and standards – for example Codes of Practice – and their adoption / implementation by stakeholders – industry and competent authorities. Identifying and characterizing emerging food safety and quality issues related to the development of science and technologies, which may require the development and / or update of international standards. The IUFoST Codex Committee aims to: Prioritize Codex activities, where IUFoST’s contribution would be most relevant. Recommend areas of contribution of the IUFoST science and technology communities in Codex activities as well as the vehicles to convey such input / contributions e.g., white papers, side events on the margin of Codex Committee meetings, participation in Electronic Working Groups, interventions made during Codex Committee and Commission meetings etc.. Liaise with IUFoST Working Groups and Committees in relation with Codex Committee Agenda items, to promote IUFoST interaction with Codex Advise on IUFoST’s input into Codex proceedings, and in particular, at the Codex Alimentarius Commission, through submitted papers and / or verbal interventions.
♣ Leads academic initiatives related to Food Risk Analysis and Regulatory Policies at Université Laval's Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences and the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF) - Leads the development of a Food Risk Analysis and Regulatory Excellence Platform - Leads initiatives related to capacity building in food safety and regulatory policy development in China, South East Asia, Africa, the Caribbean region and the Near East. - Leads training and competency development programs destined to current and future executives in food regulatory areas, both in industry and government settings - Founder of the Global Food Regulatory Science Society (GFoRSS).
As a founding member and a member of the Board of Directors, I enjoy the privilege to chair the Board and serve as the Chief Operating Officer of GFoRSS, supporting the development of the organization as a leading partner promoting food regulatory science and supporting capacity building initiatives in food safety and nutrition with a particular focus on enhancing food control systems internationally
- Key player in the leadership team of the World Bank's Global Food Safety Partnership (GFSP), a unique Public/Private partnership dedicated to food safety capacity building in low and medium income countries. - Led the strategic development and stakeholder engagement of the GFSP. - Provided high level policy and strategic advice related to the development and implementation of the GFSP's goals, with specific focus relating to public health, regulatory development as well as partners and stakeholder engagement. - Led interaction and collaboration with partners with a focus on international organisations, governments, academia, the private sector and NGOs. - Led the development of a strategic plan for the GFSP (for 2015-2020).
Food Directorate, Health Canada : - Senior Food Regulator at the Executive Level, leading the food safety and nutrition standard setting program at Health Canada - Managed a multi-disciplinary science and regulatory program aimed to set standards, policies and guidelines supporting the safety and nutritional quality of foods available for sale in Canada. - Managed a research and surveillance programs to support food standard setting and policy development activities. This program was delivered from science and multiple research centres in Canada (Ottawa, Toronto, Montréal, Winnipeg and Vancouver) - Represented Health Canada and lead the department's response in major domestic and international food safety incidents and foodborne illness outbreak response, including support to food enforcement and compliance activities of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. - Managed the operations of the Food Directorate, as the primary food standard setter at the federal level in Canada, including its food regulatory program, issuance of risk management decisions and response to emerging issues and food safety incidents, in support of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. - Acted as spokesperson and representative of Health Canada’s food safety and nutrition standard setting program domestically and internationally (with media, parliamentary committees and international organizations) - Led discussions and negotiations with Federal, Provincial Food Safety and Nutritional Partners, as well as domestic and international stakeholders.
- Within the Food Directorate, led a team of scientific professionals and managed a program focused on the development of food chemical safety standards, national monitoring programs to assess exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals in foods, evaluation of food additives, food irradiation processes and novel foods. - Provided advice to other Federal, Provincial and Territorial organizations (mainly the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and provincial ministries of agriculture/food), consumer groups and industry associations on issues related to food additives, food irradiation processes, chemical contaminants in food and undeclared allergens...