Food Standards Australia New Zealand Board

The Board of FSANZ numbers twelve. Members of the Board have been drawn from specialist areas - public health, food science, human nutrition, consumer affairs, food allergy, medical science, microbiology, food safety, biotechnology, veterinary science, primary food production, the food industry, food processing or retailing, small business, international trade, food regulation, consumer rights and consumer affairs policy, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and government. All members are part-time, except the FSANZ Chief Executive Officer.

The Board meets at least five times a year and it can also convene through teleconferences to discuss urgent issues. Outcomes of FSANZ Board meetings are published regularly through the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website.  

The Board

Note: The reference after each member’s name refers to the role specified in section 116 of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 which the member fulfils.  All members, with the exception of the CEO, are part-time.  Members are listed alphabetically after the Chairman and CEO.  

	Philippa Smith AM Chair of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) board.
	Mr Steve McCutcheon (Chief Executive Officer) Mr McCutcheon [s.116(1)(B)] was appointed CEO of FSANZ in October 2007.   Prior to his appointment, Mr McCutcheon held a number of senior executive positions in the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.   During that time he led the team that developed the new food regulatory framework for Australia and New Zealand under the auspices of the Council of Australian Governments.   He has also led the Australian delegation to annual sessions at the Codex Alimentarius Commission and at the international food safety-related meetings.   Mr McCutcheon holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from Sydney University and a Graduate Diploma of Public Law from the Australian National University.
	Dr Michele Allan Dr Michele Allan [s.116(1)(f)] has strong leadership experience across many facets of the food industry.   Her areas of expertise include food science, food allergy, food safety, food manufacturing, food packaging innovation and bioinformatics.
	Professor Katrine Baghurst Professor Katrine Baghurst [s.116(1)(e)] has been involved in research and in translation of research to practice in the nutrition field in both Australia and New Zealand over the past 30 years, notably at the CSIRO Human Nutrition Division.   Her extensive experience makes her a specialist in relation to determining food choice, consumer needs, current dietary patterns in the community and nutritional and food education.   Professor Baghurst is a member of the National Health Committee of the NHMRC and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Adelaide and currently works as a Nutrition Consultant.
	Mr Peter Boyden Mr Peter Boyden [s.116(1)(g)] is an internationally experienced CEO with extensive general management and marketing experience gained in consumer foods businesses in Australia, UK, Netherlands and Greece.   His most recent role was Managing Director and regional Board member of the Unilever Australasian foods business and a Board member of the Australian Food and Grocery Council.   He currently acts as a business mentor for senior executives and is a non-executive director of Meat & Livestock Australia and Stuart Alexander.   His areas of responsibility have included the management of consumer marketing, product and packaging development, food production and general management, where he has focused on strategy development and portfolio management
	Dr John Craven Dr John Craven BVSc (Hons) MVSc PhD MACVSc [s.116(1)(f)] is a veterinarian with post-graduate qualifications in microbiology and pathology.   His research interests have primarily been in the areas of identifying the causes of neonatal diarrhoea in animals and in preventing spread of food poisoning organisms from animals to people.   He has been Director of the central Victorian veterinary diagnostic and research laboratory and held other senior positions in the Victorian Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (now Department of Primary Industries).   Dr Craven was, for seven years, a Portfolio Manager for the Dairy Research and Development Corporation and is currently Director of Terip Solutions Pty Ltd.   He has considerable experience in working with rural communities to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability by development and subsequent adoption of technology.
	Dr Laurence Eyres   Dr Laurence Eyres [s.116(1)(c)] has expertise in food science and technical management and his present research and professional speciality is quality assurance and research and development of food products, particularly oils and fats.   He has worked in industry for over 30 years and brings a food technology, industry and New Zealand perspective to the Board.   He is currently Business Development Director, Food and Nutrition, at Auckland University.
	Mr Peter Milne Mr Peter Milne [s.116(1)(g)] has worked all his life in the Australia cattle industry and managed Cracow Station in Central Queensland for many years.   He has been active in rural industry organisations and involved in training, industrial relations, on-farm QA, R&D and marketing.   He was Chairman of the Red Meat Advisory Council in 2001, on the Executive of the National Farmers’ Federation for four years and President of the Cattle Council of Australia until November 2001.   He is a member of the National Institute of Accountants and a Fellow of The Taxation Institute of Australia.
	Ms Hikihiki Pihema Ms Hikihiki Pihema RD Dip H Sc [s.116(1)(ca)] is currently the Senior Dietitian at Gisborne Hospital, Tairawhiti District Health, Gisborne, New Zealand.   She is a Maori dietitian with 32 years’ experience in a range of clinical, administration, management, community, public health, Maori health, education and policy settings within New Zealand.   Ms Pihema is also a past President of the New Zealand Dietetic Association (NZDA) and has assisted in the strengthening of collaborative links between the NZDA and the Dietitians’ Association of Australia.
	Dr Pamela Williams Dr Pamela Williams [s.116(1)(d)] has a strong background in consumer participation, consumer behaviour and consumer decision-making.   Her extensive experience includes Home Economics teaching and Home Economics teacher preparation.   Her recent experience has been in consumer advocacy, especially in health system and breast cancer areas.
	Dr Peter Williams Dr Peter Williams [s.116(1)(f)] brings to the Board a strong background in public health, human nutrition, food service management and consumer studies.   Dr Williams is an Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences at the Wollongong University and leads the regulatory affairs work of the National Centre of Excellence in Functional Foods.   Before his employment at Wollongong, Dr Williams was the Director of Scientific and Consumer Affairs at Kelloggs for three years and previously worked as the Chief Dietitian and Food Services Manager at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.   Dr Williams served a two-year term as President of the Dietitians Association of Australia from 2001 and has served on NHMRC working parties for the review of Dietary Guidelines for Australia and the review of recommended nutrient intakes, as well as a member of the steering committee for the Heart Foundation’s Pick the Tick program
	Dianne Yates  New member of the FSANZ board.

 

Register of FSANZ Board Members' Interests

Under subsection 50(6) of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991, entries recorded in the register of Board members' material personal interests must be published on the Internet. [ word| pdf 29 kb ]

FSANZ Board Charter    

The FSANZ Board Charter outlines the objectives of the Board and the various roles and responsibilities of FSANZ Board members   [  word | pdf 139 kb  ]

FSANZ Board Outcomes

Outcomes of FSANZ  Board meetings are published regularly.