ACMSF
Committee on Microbiological Safety
ACMSF Secretariat
Third Floor, Aviation House
125 Kingsway
London WC2B 6NH
Tel: 020 7276 8947
acmsf@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
ACMSF members
Members of the ACMSF are drawn from a number of different areas:
ACMSF Chair:
Professor Sarah O'Brien
Professor Sarah O'Brien was appointed to the ACMSF in 2001.
A Consultant in Public Health Medicine, she is currently Professor of Infection Epidemiology and Zoonoses at the University of Liverpool. Her research interests include foodborne zoonoses.
Previously she was Head of Gastrointestinal Diseases Division at the Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections where she was responsible for assessing data and generating, through surveillance and research, the evidence base for the origins and spread of gastrointestinal infection.
She has published widely on these subjects.
Professor O'Brien held a number of hospital and health authority appointments, and also lectured, in public health medicine, between 1986 and 1995.
She was Consultant in Public Health Medicine at the Scottish Centre for infection and Environmental Health between 1995 and 1998 before joining the Health Protection Agency.
She is a member of the Food Standards Agency's Epidemiology of Foodborne Infections Group.
Members:
Dr Bob Adak
Dr Bob Adak was appointed to the ACMSF in 2011. He is currently Head of Epidemiological Services in the Department of Gastrointestinal, Emerging and Zoonotic Infections at Health Protection Services Colindale. His duties include: managing and developing national surveillance systems for infectious intestinal disease (IID); epidemiological research; investigation of national outbreaks of foodborne disease; providing expert advice on a wide range of issues relating to enteric infections to: national and international government bodies; public health specialists; industry; universities; journalists; members of the public. His department plays lead role in the investigation of national and international outbreaks of IID and supporting local response.
Dr Adak has considerable experience in national and international scientific and advisory committees. He is a member of European Food Safety Authority: Foodborne Outbreak and External Review Working Groups, European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention: Food and Waterborne Disease Coordination Group and Infectious Disease and Social Determinants and Infectious Disease and Climate Change Working Groups. He is also a member of the World Health Organization International Collaboration on Foodborne Diseases – estimating the burden of foodborne illness.
Mr John Bassett
Mr Bassett is currently the team leader for the Microbiological Safety team at the Unilever Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre.
He has a wide experience of developing risk assessments/risk management strategies and managing research, both in an industrial and governmental context, having previously worked for the New Zealand Food Safety Authority and the Biosecurity Authorities of the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
A qualified veterinarian, Mr Bassett also spent seven years as a practising vet.
Dr Roy Betts
Dr Roy Betts was appointed to the ACMSF in 2011. He is currently Head of Food Microbiology, Campden BRI, formerly Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association managing a 35 strong food microbiology team involved in research and testing work. His team carry out a wide range of food microbiology projects (funded through a variety of sources including Campden research funds, food company contracts, UK Government funds (FSA, Defra) and EU contracts. Dr Betts is the overall manager of all Campden BRI microbiology testing facilities (UKAS accredited).
Dr Betts is routinely involved in food industry crisis management situations undertaking on site risk evaluations, providing advice and solutions to industry problems.
Dr Betts has been involved in many committees over past years. These include the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) Research Institute, British Standards Institution (AW9 Food Microbiology), Food and Drinks Federation Food Hygiene Sub-Committee, International Life Sciences Institute Committees on low moisture foods and Risk Analysis, MicroVal (European Microbiological test method validation).
Ms Vivianne Buller
Ms Buller was appointed to the ACMSF in 2005. She operates a Business Improvement Catering Consultancy advising Local Authority Caterers and Schools on issues such as Nutrition Strategies, Food Safety, Sustainable Food Procurement and Customer Service Developments.
She was previously employed by Northumberland County Council as General Manager of Catering Services, Outdoor Education and Business Improvement Teams.
Prior to this she held senior posts with Newcastle City Council and Suffolk County Council. She was elected Regional Chairman (North and Scotland) and National Councillor of the Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA) and served as National Chairman 2003-2004.
Professor John Coia
Professor John Coia was appointed to the ACMSF in 2007. He is a Consultant Clinical Microbiologist with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Director of the Scottish Salmonella reference laboratory and former director of the Scottish E. coliO157 reference laboratory. He is also an Honorary Professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow. He has over 20 years experience of foodborne infections including his role as a food examiner in an accredited public health microbiology laboratory. He has an active research interest in foodborne infections and has published a large volume of scientific research papers and several book chapters.
Mrs Rosie Glazebrook
Rosie Glazebrook was appointed as the consumer representative on the ACMSF in 2008. She has a background in publishing and media and has been involved in developing a number of major consumer campaigns and publications. She previously worked for Dr Foster Ltd, News International, Macmillan and Oxford University Press. She is a Non-Executive Director of Hammersmith and Fulham NHS Primary Care Trust, a member of the London Research Ethics Committee, and a member of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust Research Governance and Tissue Bank Committees. She is also a lay member of the Committees on Carcinogenicity and Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer products and the Environment (COC and COM).
Professor Jim Gray
Professor Jim Gray was appointed to the ACMSF in 2011. He is consultant clinical scientist at the Specialist Virology Centre in Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals and Honorary Chair at the University of East Anglia, as Professor of Clinical Virology.
He was previously clinical scientist and Head of the Enteric Virus Unit at the Health Protection Agency, London. Professor Gray has extensive experience in clinical virology, and virological and microbiological research. He has extensive work experience on enteric viruses including noroviruses and rotaviruses, herpes viruses, human papillomaviruses, environmental virus contamination, quality assurance within a diagnostic laboratory, molecular microbiology and RNA virus evolution. He is involved in teaching and presenting research findings at local, national and international meetings.
Professor Gray holds membership of a number of regional and national scientific committees, which includes the East of England Microbiology Group and East of England Virology Forum.
Dr Richard Holliman
Dr Richard Holliman was appointed to the ACMSF in 2006. He is a lead Consultant and Reader in clinical microbiology at St George's Hospital, London. His areas of expertise include communicable and tropical diseases, toxoplasmosis, food and environmental microbiology and infection control.
Previously he was a registered food examiner and Head of a UKAS accredited Environmental Microbiology Laboratory. He has published over one hundred scientific research papers on epidemiology, clinical, food and water microbiology.
Dr Holliman is also a recognised teacher at the University of London and has regularly taught medical students, health professionals, environmental health officers and Medical Practitioners since 1989.
Ms Jenny Hopwood
Ms Jenny Hopwood was appointed to the ACMSF in 2011. She is Marks & Spencer company microbiologist responsible for the microbiological food safety of M&S foods.
She is also a senior technologist for the technical development of the sub-branded health ranges. She is at heart of M&S Foods microbiological governance and policy development. For 25 years, Ms Hopwood has worked extensively in protein and produce agriculture, chilled and frozen food processing and worked with many different food manufacturing processors in the food industry, the majority in the UK, but also wider Europe, USA and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Ms Hopwood is currently a member of the following committees: BRC Micro Working Party, Campden BRI Member Research Governance Committee, FSA / BBSRC Campylobacter Research panel.
Professor David McDowell
Professor David McDowell was appointed to the ACMSF in 2010. He is Professor of Food Studies at the University of Ulster where he leads the Food Microbiology Research Group. The main focus of his academic career has been food microbiology research, research evaluation, technology transfer, teaching, and the development and dissemination of food safety policy.
He has published widely in peer-reviewed publications, including recent research projects on Campylobacter, Listeria, Salmonella and VTEC and their ecology and epidemiology along the human food chain. He is a member of two microbiology journal editorial boards and a frequent reviewer in international journals in the area of food microbiology.
He is currently Deputy Chair of the Agrifood and Biosciences Research Institute Board of Northern Ireland.
Mr Paul McMullin
Mr McMullin is currently the Senior Veterinarian and Managing Director of Poultry Health Services.
Prior to joining Poultry Health Services as a company veterinarian in 1992, he was the Technical Services Manager at MSD Agvet and before that was the Veterinarian in charge of Diagnostic Lab at MSD Brazil.
Mr McMullin has published research focusing on the areas of poultry disease, pathology and veterinary product development (pigs, poultry and cattle).
Mr McMullin is an RCVS-recognised specialist and Diplomate in Poultry Medicine and Production and holds an MSc in livestock Health and Production (University of London)
Dr Sally Millership
Dr Sally Millership was appointed to the ACMSF in 2006. She is a Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at Essex Health Protection Unit and an Honorary Consultant in Microbiology.
She regularly teaches sessions on public health for general practitioners and she has a long-standing research interest in microbial causes of gastroenteritis. She has published numerous papers on this subject.
Dr Millership previously held a number of hospital and health authority appointments, and also lectured in bacteriology at Hammersmith Hospital between 1986 and 1993.
Mrs Jenny Morris
Mrs Jenny Morris was appointed to the ACMSF in 2006. She is a food safety policy officer at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.
She has a wide range of environmental health experience and has worked as an Environmental Health Officer for a number of local authorities.
She also has a background in microbiological research and previously ran her own catering business between 1997 and 2001.
Mr David Nuttall
Mr David Nuttall was appointed to the ACMSF in 2010. He is currently Catering Manager at Harper Adams University College.
He has 22 years of practical experience in the catering industry internationally as a qualified chef at executive level and over 12 years experience in the commercial world of Universities. Mr Nuttall was Deputy Catering Manager and Senior Warden at Bradford University before moving to Harper Adams University in 2005.
He holds masters degrees in food safety and business administration. Mr Nuttall has a wide range of experience in the application of food safety in the catering sector internationally and regularly lectures on food safety at the University.
Professor Peter Williams
Professor Williams was appointed to the ACMSF in 2004. He is Emeritus Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Genetics at the University of Leicester.
He has held a number of posts within the University, including Head of the Department of Genetics, Chairman of the School of Biological Sciences, and Head of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology.
The focus of his research throughout his career has been the molecular genetic analysis of the bacterial pathogenicity, particularly in relation to diarrhoeal diseases.
His major interest is in the role that iron plays in the persistence and survival of bacterial pathogens and in the pathogenesis of infection.
He has a number of international collaborations, including researchers in developing countries, and has published extensively in this field.
- ACMSF Code of Practice
(102KB)
- ACMSF Register of Members' Interests
(137KB)