Mark Flanagan

Mark Flanagan, the CEO and Founder of Shield Safety and Safe to Trade, is a Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner, Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) with over 20 years of experience in the field. His passion for Safe to Trade is evident in his dedication to the Environmental Health profession and his commitment to creating a safer food environment. Mark’s leadership and vision have been instrumental in the development of the Safe to Trade scheme, which he sees as a vital tool for enhancing food safety standards.

Mark’s commitment to Safe to Trade is driven by his belief in the power of standardised audits to improve food safety inspections and protect consumers. He understands the importance of providing food businesses with a clear and consistent audit standard that can help them demonstrate compliance with legal requirements and build a strong due diligence defence. Mark’s focus is on using the scheme to create a safer and more reliable food industry.

Three key benefits of the Safe to Trade scheme that Mark passionately supports are:

• A clear and consistent audit standard that reduces inconsistencies and enhances the reliability of food safety inspections.
• The ability for food businesses to demonstrate legal compliance, build a strong due diligence defence, and reduce the likelihood of food safety contraventions.
• The potential for the scheme to influence national government policy, allocate resources more effectively, and improve food safety standards globally.

Mark’s vision for Safe to Trade is to create a global benchmark for food safety that will protect consumers and enhance the credibility of the food industry.