Our speakers

Steve Wearne

Former Chair, Codex Alimentarius Commission

Dr. Steven Wearne is a food safety and regulatory expert with over 35 years of experience. He is former Chair of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, having previously been Vice-Chair from 2017 to 2021. He has held senior positions at the UK Food Standards Agency, including Director of Global Affairs, and brings extensive expertise in international food standards and regulatory policy. Dr. Wearne holds a degree in Biochemistry and conducted postgraduate research in Molecular Biology. In 2024, he was elected Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology.

Jean Christophe Kremer

Secretary-General, ISDI

Jean-Christophe Kremer is Secretary General of the International Special Dietary Foods Industries (ISDI). Since joining ISDI in 2014, he has played a central role in advocating for science-based frameworks that ensure safe, high-quality products for consumers worldwide. Jean-Christophe began his career as a parliamentary assistant in the European Parliament before moving into consultancy roles in Brussels, where he first engaged with the food industry.

Samuel Godefroy

President, IUFoST

Samuel Godefroy is a leading authority in food risk analysis and regulatory policies. He is a Full Professor at Université Laval in Quebec and currently serves as President of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST). With a strong background in chemistry and analytical sciences, he has built a distinguished career as an expert advisor on food standards and regulation. Previously, he served as Vice-Chair of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, where he contributed to shaping international food safety and quality standards.

Cormac McElhinney

Manager, Food Science & Standards, Food Safety Authority of Ireland

Cormac McElhinney is a recognised expert in food safety and toxicology. He completed his PhD at the Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, where he identified the urgent challenge of a looming population-driven food crisis. At the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), he manages the Food Science & Standards team, working to protect consumer health and ensure the highest standards in the Irish food system.

Aaron O'Sullivan

Director, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, Danone

Aaron O’Sullivan is Director, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, Danone. He is a dedicated scientist with over 20 years’ industry experience, extensive experience with composition, labelling and nutrition and health claims compliance, and expertise in food ingredients, including nutrients, sweeteners, flavours, colours, additives, enzymes, prebiotics and probiotics. Aaron has a passion for driving cultural and organisational changes to improve risk recognition and food safety and regulatory affairs to protect consumers, the environment and overall public safety.

Sally Roundhill

Global Regulatory Principal, Fonterra

Sally Roundhill serves as Regulatory Principal at Fonterra, playing a lead role in the development and implementation of regulatory strategies and frameworks across the company’s global operations. With more than 12 years of specialized experience in regulatory affairs and market access within the New Zealand dairy industry, Sally possesses extensive expertise in risk assessment and risk management. Her career in the dairy industry spans 22 years, encompassing roles as a research scientist in dairy microbiology, customer services, and market access/regulatory specialist with Fonterra and its predecessor companies.

Ragnar Löfstedt

Professor of Risk Management, King's College London

Ragnar Löfstedt is Professor of Risk Management at King’s College London and Director of the King’s Centre for Risk Management. He is President-Elect of the Society for Risk Analysis (2022) and an internationally recognised expert in risk communication and management. His research focuses on evidence-based health and safety policies, transparency in policymaking, and risk communication in the chemical, environmental, food, and pharmaceutical sectors.

Paul Hanlon

Director, Regulatory Affairs, Abbott Nutrition

Paul Hanlon is a toxicologist with extensive experience in global food regulations, specialising in novel ingredients and chemical contaminants. He is currently Director of Regulatory Affairs at Abbott Nutrition, where he leads a team supporting product innovation, from novel ingredient approvals and product formulation to claims development. Paul has coordinated submissions to multiple regulatory agencies worldwide and co-authored publications on risk-based approaches to managing chemical contaminants in food.

Frans Verstraete

DG SANTE E2, European Commission

Frans Verstraete is a bioscience engineer with nearly 30 years of experience at the European Commission, where he serves as an expert on contaminants in feed and food. Over his career, he has played a key role in shaping EU policies and standards to protect consumer health and ensure food and feed safety across Europe. His longstanding expertise continues to contribute to evidence-based regulation and the development of safe, sustainable food systems.

Markus Lipp

Senior Food Safety Officer, FAO

Dr. Markus Lipp is Senior Food Safety Officer leading FAO’s global work on food safety, developing international common goods and strengthening national food safety systems. He coordinates chemical and microbiological risk assessment initiatives and capacity development programs to enhance food safety worldwide. With a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, Dr. Lipp's expertise spans food chemistry, regulatory compliance, labelling requirements, and international food governance.

Monika Ehling-Schulz

University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna

Monika Ehling-Schulz is a full professor of Microbiology at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna and internationally recognised for her pioneering research on toxigenic Bacilli. She leads the Institute of Microbiology and the Center for Pathobiology at Vetmeduni Vienna, where her team has identified key regulators of virulence in Bacillus cereus. Awarded the Otto von Guericke Prize in 2016 for her work on emetic B. cereus, she continues to advance next-generation risk-based diagnostics.

Verna Carolissen

Food Standards Officer, Codex Alimentarius

Verna Carolissen is a Food Standards Officer with the Codex Secretariat, part of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. She plays a key role in supporting the development and implementation of international food standards under the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which aims to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in food trade, providing expert advice and practical insights, and supporting global efforts to reduce foodborne risks.

Jiří Sochor

DG SANTE E2, European Commission

Jiří Sochor is a senior official at the European Commission, serving as Team Leader for Food Improvement Agents in DG SANTE E2. His work involves overseeing regulatory frameworks related to food enzymes, additives and processing aids. He has been actively involved in stakeholder meetings and technical discussions concerning the evaluation and approval of food enzymes, the establishment of the EU register and Union list, and transitional measures for applications submitted under EU food law.

Antoon Opperhuizen

Director Risk Assessment and Research, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority

Antoon Opperhuizen is Director of Risk Assessment and Research at the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, a position he has held for over 10 years. He studied chemistry at the University of Amsterdam and holds a PhD in Mathematics and Natural Sciences. With extensive experience in food safety and risk assessment, Antoon plays a leading role in guiding scientific research and regulatory decisions to ensure the safety of food and consumer products in the Netherlands.

Alejandro Rodarte

Director of Food Safety, FoodDrinkEurope

With a background in food chemistry and international agricultural sciences, Alejandro is committed to ensuring that food safety, quality, taste, and nutrition are central to EU policy. In his role, he works closely with companies, associations, and policymakers on complex issues of food policy, science, and R&D. His responsibilities cover regulatory developments on food contaminants, process contaminants, and food contact materials, as well as oversight of emerging areas such as novel foods and new genomic techniques.

Frédéric Bayer

Content & Outreach Manager, EUFIC

Frédéric is Content and Outreach Manager at the European Food Information Council (EUFIC), where he is responsible for communicating science-based information on nutrition and food to diverse audiences across Europe. Trained as an agricultural engineer with a specialisation in nutrition, he combines technical expertise with a strong commitment to public health and science communication. He has contributed his knowledge as a member of the EFSA Stakeholder Discussion Group on Emerging Risks, providing expert insights on food and nutrition-related challenges.

Evangelia Mavromichali

Regulatory Affairs Manager, Abbott Nutrition

Evangelia Mavromichali is a food safety specialist and regulatory affairs expert at Abbott. She previously worked at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) within the risk assessment department and served as Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Manager at Specialised Nutrition Europe (SNE). Evangelia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and a Master’s degree focused on Public Health and Food Safety.