Governing safely, collaboratively and with integrity

Safe to Trade is underpinned by a robust governance structure. Bringing together a formidable team of the brightest minds from across the industry. Including renowned experts, professionals qualified to the highest level, industry leaders and consumers.

Governing safely, collaboratively and with integrity

Safe to Trade is underpinned by a robust governance structure. Bringing together a formidable team of the brightest minds from across the industry. Including renowned experts, professionals qualified to the highest level, industry leaders and consumers.

Chair

Geoffrey Podger

Former CEO of the HSE and FSA, Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority

Alec Kyriakides

Experienced food safety consultant., Chair of the BRCGS International Advisory Boards, Non-Executive Director at Campden BRI, Trustee of the IFST, Honorary Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast, former Head of Quality and Safety at Sainsbury's

John Barnes

Ex head of Local Delivery at FSA and Former Senior Civil Servant, with extensive experience developing and delivering food safety controls including the development of regulatory voluntary third-party assurance schemes.

Jane Cull

Safe to Trade Scheme Manager with over 20 years experience in project, operations and safety roles.

Mark Flanagan

CEO and Founder of Shield Safety, Chartered Environmental Health Professional with over 20 years’ experience and dedication to the Environmental Health profession.

Sterling Crew

Experienced food sector director with a portfolio of Chair and Board roles, including President of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and Board Trustee for the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)

Michael Jackson

Ex deputy director of Regulatory Compliance at FSA with extensive experience of developing, delivering and modernising food safety controls and developing consumer information schemes.

Technical Standards Committee (TSC)

The TSC is responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the Safe to Trade standard, ensuring that it is always consistent and up to date with the latest legislation. Committee members have high expertise and experience in hospitality food safety management, food safety enforcement, hygiene regulations, health and safety and the development of standards.

Applications for the Technical Standards Committee are currently open. To apply visit our opportunities page.

Chair

Alec Kyriakides

Experienced food safety consultant, Chair of the BRCGS International Advisory Boards, Non-Executive Director at Campden BRI, Trustee of the IFST, Honorary Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast, former Head of Quality and Safety at Sainsbury's

Sterling Crew

Experienced food sector director with a portfolio of Chair and Board roles, including President of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and Board Trustee for the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)

Clare Lycett

A Local Authority enforcing officer with over 25 years of experience, dedicated to Environmental Health and serving as the lead officer for Primary Authority Environmental Health at Milton Keynes Council.

Joanna Betts

Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner with 25 years of experience in local government and commercial sectors, committed to upholding the highest standards of environmental health compliance.

Jonathan Hayes

Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner with expertise in local government and commercial sectors. Currently Head of Safety, Risk and Sustainability at Gordon Ramsey Restaurants, former Trustee of the CIEH.

Lisa Cobb

Chartered Fellow of the CIEH, with experience in Local Authority and the private sector, currently Global Head of Safety for SSP Group.

Sam Bacon

Environmental Health Professional with food safety and health & safety experience in both the public and private sectors. Currently Food, Health and Safety Manager at Hull City Council.

Kelvin Wood

Certification Body Manager at Shield Safety and a Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner, with over 15 years expertise providing safety solutions to the hospitality, catering and retail sector

Mark Flanagan

CEO and Founder of Shield Safety, Chartered Environmental Health Professional with over 20 years’ experience and dedication to the Environmental Health profession.

Elinor Underhill

Divisional Manager at Shield Safety, Environmental Health Professional with over 10 years of Local Authority and Consulting experience. Experience developing and delivering food safety and health and safety audits and inspections.

We're looking for new members of the TSC

Stakeholder Engagement Forum (SEF)

The SEF’s responsibility is key to keeping all stakeholders connected, and to promote awareness and understanding of Safe to Trade across all stakeholder communities, maintaining strong links with food industry regulators, inspection bodies, consumers and other groups.

Previous Stakeholder Engagement Forum attendees

Certification Body Impartiality Committee (CBIC)

CBIC’s purpose is to ensure fairness and neutrality in the certification process, avoiding any bias. The committee operates on behalf of the Shield Safety Certification Body. Threats to impartiality are sources of potential conflicts of interest, bias and prejudice that could impact the objectivity of Safe to Trade certification.

Chair

Selvarani Elah

UK Deputy Government Chemist and Executive Director of the Food Authenticity Network at LGC. Chartered Chemist, fellow of RSC and IFST and awarded an MBE in 2020 for Food Measurement Science.

Prof. Declan Naughton

Professor Emeritus of Biomolecular Sciences at Kingston University London with wide ranging research interests from food safety and nutrition to drug discovery and endocrinology.

Prof. Carol Wallace

Professor Emeritus of Food Safety Management at the University of Central Lancashire and an experienced food safety consultant with 40 years experience in academia and industry. Author/co-author of several best-selling food safety textbooks.

Sophie Lawrence

Programme Manager at the Food Intelligence Industry Network (FIIN) promoting supply chain integrity. Experience in managing intelligence and data in public and private sectors and holds a PhD in seafood fraud.

Paul Turner

Experienced Local Authority Environmental Health Officer, Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner and FSA Working Group member on various projects and training initiatives. Currently Senior Environmental Health Officer at North Yorkshire Council.

Kelvin Wood

Certification Body Manager at Shield Safety and a Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner, with over 15 years expertise providing safety solutions to the hospitality, catering and retail sector

Jane Cull

Safe to Trade Scheme Manager with over 20 years experience in project, operations and safety roles.

We're looking for new members of our governance committees

Primary Authority

Milton Keynes City Council serve as the primary authority. This role includes the provision of authority-assured advice and guidance. Importantly other local authorities are required to respect the advice provided by Milton Keynes

Integrity Programme

The purpose of the integrity programme is to provide stakeholder confidence in the integrity of audits conducted by Certification Bodies. Within the integrity programme, Safe to Trade, on an ongoing basis, conducts audits on Safe to Trade certified locations and can carry out head-office audits of Certification Bodies to assess compliance with the Protocol