10 December 2004
FSANZ Expands Its expertise
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today announced the appointment of five FSANZ Fellows in a move designed to boost the skills and expertise available to the agency.
FSANZ is a bi-national agency that sets food standards which determine what appears in the food supply, information manufacturers must give consumers on food labels and, in Australia, the hygiene and food safety requirements that must be adopted by food businesses.
The new FSANZ Fellows are:
Professor Julie Byles, Director, Centre for Research & Education in Ageing, University of Newcastle
Professor John Cary, Director, Institute for Sustainability and Innovation , Victoria University
Dr Ann Cowling, Head, Statistical Consulting Unit, The Graduate School, Australian National University
Professor Mike Gidley, Director, Centre of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Queensland (a joint appointment with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries)
Dr Robert Loblay, Director, Allergy Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
FSANZ’s Chief Scientist Dr Marion Healy said the new Fellows would complement the scientific skills already available to FSANZ through its staff and its many advisory committees drawn from industry, government and the community.
“FSANZ Fellows are appointed for a period of three years and, as new challenges arise, we replace or appoint additional Fellows to the program,” Dr Healy said.
“They are eminent researchers in their own disciplines, providing FSANZ with advice that is authoritative, objective and at the cutting edge of world knowledge.”
They join current FSANZ Fellows: Professor Jeff Borland (University of Melbourne), Dr Martin Cole (National Center for Food Safety and Technology, US), Dr John Huckerby (New Zealand), Professor Jim Mann (University of Otago), Professor Tom McMeekin (University of Tasmania), Professor John McNeil (Monash University) and Professor Roger Morris (Massey University).
Dr Healy paid tribute to six Fellows, whose appointments have just concluded:
Dr David Hill (Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne), Dr Geoff Marks (University of Queensland), Emeritus Professor Nancy Millis (University of Melbourne), Professor Paul Moughan (Massey University), Dr Chris Reynolds (Flinders University) and Professor Tony Worsley (Deakin University).
“Collectively, they have played a significant role in the life of FSANZ during the past three years. Their contribution has encouraged us to not only maintain the FSANZ Fellows program, but also to cast our net wider, beyond the traditional scientific disciplines,” Dr Healy said.
“To this end, we have appointed a social scientist and a statistics expert – two areas where we feel that we need a greater emphasis in our work.”
The FSANZ Fellows program is now is its fifth year.
Media contact: Lydia Buchtmann 02 62712620 or 0401 714 265