IFST appoints new president

Maureen Edmondson OBE is the new president of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST). Edmondson was invested as president during IFST’s annual general meeting on 12 March 2015.

Of her appointment, Edmondson says, “I am truly honoured to be appointed president of IFST. A highly successful jubilee year has brought the institute into fresher focus. I intend to build on that success for our members. Food is a mainstay of life and of the economy. The sector needs a constant supply of skilled professionals in food science and technology who rise to the challenge of consumer demands for safe, satisfying food, sustainably produced and processed and available at affordable prices.

“I would like to have the voice of the profession more audible in the public square. Policy should be evidence-based and debates about the science of food should be informed by those who know and understand food science. Young people also need the opportunity to know about food skills for life and exciting careers.”

Edmondson is a food scientist by training and experience. She studied at Queen’s University of Belfast, gaining her doctorate in food bacteriology. She is a fellow of IFST, a chartered scientist and visiting professor at Ulster University. She worked 20 years for Mars Incorporated where she was responsible for international scientific affairs.

Edmondson served six years as a board member for the Food Standards Agency and chair of the Northern Ireland Food Advisory Committee. She is a trustee of FareShare, chair of the Patient and Client Council and of the Northern Ireland Advisory Committee of Ofcom – the UK communications regulator.

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