‘Technology will help correct the imbalance between hunger and obesity’

Professor Tony Hines, head of food security and crisis management at Leatherhead Food Research, on Guy Fawkes, fireworks and feeding the world

Describe yourself in three words

Loyal, committed and enthusiastic.

What’s your biggest professional achievement?

Being appointed a visiting professor at the University of Reading.

How did you get to where you are today?

By staying at Leatherhead Food Research for over 40 years and taking on an opportunity with enthusiasm, travelling extensively, building a great network and always trying to deliver something special for clients and customers.

What are your pet hates?

Time-wasters, exceptionally loud music and mountains with no snow on them.

Give us a positive prediction for the food industry over the next 12 months

We feed 850 million people in Europe three times a day, and we’ll continue to do this in a safe and wholesome manner. Food technology will help correct the imbalance between hunger and obesity.

What do you consider to be the most important attributes for a leader?
I admire many of our great military leaders, including Lord Mountbatten, Norman Schwarzkopf from the first Gulf War and, of course, Winston Churchill. They had vision, a great supporting infrastructure with fantastic communication and motivational skills.

Who do you most admire?

I admire Ernest Shackleton for finding himself and his crew in deep trouble but having the vision, stamina and determination to keep both the crew and himself alive.

Which people /organisations or companies are the ones to watch right now?
The organisations I watch very closely are the Health Protection Agency, who are now able to monitor and identify food-related issues often before the food industry knows about them, the Food Standards Agency, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) and Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) for emerging and threatening food-related issues.

Which word or words do you most overuse?

My wife would say ‘goooood’, ‘pardon’ or ‘could you say that again’.

If you weren’t at Leatherhead, what else might you be doing?

My father served in the Navy. Although I don’t like rough seas, I often wonder if I would have enjoyed service life. I guess after 40 years I would be sailing a desk or would have walked the plank by now!

Tell us something about yourself that few people know
Few people know that I help celebrate the life and times of England’s first terrorist, Guy Fawkes. I live in a small Surrey Village where we annually celebrate with an enormous bonfire and firework display. Health and safety regulations mean that it would be impossible to start such a tradition now. For my work with the community, I was awarded an MBE in 1999.

Any vices?

Far too many to list in 60 seconds.

What single thing would most improve the quality of your life?
Nothing. Your quality of life is whatever you choose to make it.

How do you relax?

I find relaxing and ‘turning off’ very difficult, particularly with iPads, iPhones and emails, and a 24/7 crisis service to run. However, reading, mowing the lawn and entertaining my two beautiful new grandchildren all help.

How would you like to be remembered?

If an obstacle was in his way, he would find his way around, over or under it.

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2 responses to “‘Technology will help correct the imbalance between hunger and obesity’”

  1. victoria emerton says:

    I would have liked to share this article on LinkedIn, but there isn’t an option – just Twitter and Facebook. LinkedIn is probably a more appropriate route for sharing professional articles such as yours (and promoting Food and Drink Tech to contacts), any chance you can add LinkedIn as an option?
    Thanks!

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