Bakkavor Group
Group Technical Manager – Produce
Panelist at the Plenary Session STAYING AHEAD OF FOOD SAFETY RISKS
Tuesday, 27 September, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Niall graduated from Cambridge University in 1978 with a degree in Natural Sciences. After 15 years in the UK dairy industry, he started working with fresh produce as Technical Manager in a prepared fruit factory in South Africa, then owned and operated by Geest (now Bakkavor). On his return to the UK, he worked for the same company in prepared salads, specialising in the development of technical and food safety standards in the supply base. From 2003, his focus was on protected salads, then avocados, exotic vegetables and once again, prepared produce. Since 2009, he has been responsible for the technical standards and approval of fresh produce supply into Bakkavor’s UK factories.
During Niall’s career in fresh produce he has worked directly with suppliers in the UK, Europe, Africa and the Americas. He has worked with key UK retailers and has been involved in the initial and continuing development of Marks & Spencer’s Select Grower (Field to Fork) farm standard. From 2013, he was a member of the Global GAP Stakeholder Committee for Microbiological Risk Assessment.
Real-time measurements can be valuable in verifying the operation of food safety systems; however, these systems must be founded on effective risk assessment and mitigation measures, if they are to give us confidence in the safe production of food.