Dr. Theo Lioutas joined McCain Foods Limited in 2011 as Chief Science and Technology Officer and a member of the company’s senior Leadership team. Theo worked closely with all the research and development teams around the world developing a recommended organizational structure that will further McCain’s innovation goals. He reported directly to the Chief Executive Officer. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Global Research and Development for Brown-Forman, one of the world’s largest spirits companies and an organization he worked with for 12 years. Prior to Brown-Forman, Theo built his career at General Mills, Campbell Soup, Kraft Foods, Jacobs-Suchard, Tropicana/Pepsico. He obtained a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering and a PhD in Food Chemistry and Food Science, both from the University of Illinois.

Food Chemistry,Food Science

Osama Ibrahim is a highly-experienced Principal Research Scientist with particular expertise in the field of microbiology, molecular biology, food safety, and bioprocessing for both pharmaceutical and food ingredients. He is knowledgeable in microbial screening /culture improvement; molecular biology and fermentation research for antibiotics, enzymes, therapeutic proteins, organic acids and food flavors; Biochemistry for metabolic pathways and enzymes kinetics, enzymes immobilization, bioconversion, and Analytical Biochemistry. Dr. Ibrahim was external research liaison for Kraft Foods with Universities for research projects related to molecular biology and microbial screening and holds three bioprocessing patents. In January 2005, he accepted an early retirement offer from Kraft Foods and in the same year he formed his own biotechnology company providing technical and marketing consultation for new start up biotechnology and food companies.

Biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, food safety, and bioprocessing

Alison Burton Shepherd is a queen’s nurse and tutor in nursing at Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery Kings College London. She has over 80 publications which have been peer reviewed. She is also a registered nutritionist and is on the Editorial Board of the Journal for Food and Nutritional Disorders (USA) and is a regular contributor to Network Health Dieticians. She still works in a clinical capacity as a nurse advisor for a private out of Hours Company where she works autonomously from home.

Nutrition

Hami Alpas is a Professor at Food Engineering Department, Middle East Technical University, Turkey. He holds an MBA degree from Dept. of Business Administration METU on Total Quality Management. He has served as a “visiting scholar” in 1996 and 1998 at University of Wyoming, USA; as a “visiting scientist” in 2001 and 2002 at Ohio State University, USA and as a “visiting professor” in 2006, 2007 and 2008 at University of Bordeaux I, France. His main research areas are: Unit Operations in Food Engineering, Non-thermal Food Processing Technologies, Food Quality, Food Safety and Food Security through Total Food Protection. He is an expert in Food Defense training activities via NCFPD (USA). He has supervised 4 Ph.D and 11 M.Sc. thesis in Food Engineering Department. He has 67 international journal articles (SCI) and over 750 citations (ISI-Web of Sci; h-factor 17) as well as close to 55 academic presentations in 35 different international meetings. He has completed 15 national, 4 international projects including EU/JRC, CNRS-EGIDE and NATO ARW/ATC projects. He has authored 7 chapters in internationally edited books and has edited 3 international books by Springer. He has also organized and co-directed 3 NATO-workshops (ARW-ATC). He is currently co-director of EU-FP7 project on “Plant Food Security”.

Unit Operations in Food Engineering, Non-thermal Food Processing Technologies, Food Quality, Food Safety and Food Security through Total Food Protection

Carla Vartanian is certified in Clinical Bioethics from Harvard Medical School. . She graduated from the American University of Beirut with a B.S in Nutrition and Dietetics and a Masters in Nutrition Science and later completed her Clinical Nutrition Diploma with the European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism in which she is actively involved by conducting nutrition support workshops for dietitians and physicians. Throughout her career, her areas of interest in nutrition focused on research and education as she has participated in many international scientific meetings, been teaching nutrition in two different universities in Beirut and publishing nutrition and health articles in the Middle East for many years. Carla is currently serving as the public relations chair at the American Overseas Dietetic Association, working as a consultant in therapeutic nutrition education and presenting her own weekly nutrition and health awareness TV show in Lebanon. She is an active member of more than ten different nutrition and dietetic associations around the world. Her latest international recognitions include the award of teaching excellence and the successful member of the year recognition by the World Public Health Nutrition Association in 2012

Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, Dietetics, Food Allergies, Community Nutrition, Sports Nutrition.

Sanjay Dave is the Advisor to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi. He was the Chairperson of Codex Alimentarius Commission (a UN -FAO/WHO- body) From July 2011 to July 2014. He has a Master’s degree in Life Sciences and Post-Graduate Diploma in International Trade. He also has a degree in Law. He has professional experience of more than 38 years of which about 28 years in international agriculture trade. For three and a half years (Jan 1996 – June 1999), he looked after India’s agricultural trade interests in the European Union in the capacity of Adviser (Agriculture) in the Mission of India to the European Union at Brussels.

Food Safety, Food Regulation, Food Law, Food Policy, Agriculture, Food Standards