National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology
Celebrating Food Science & Technology as a Career and the future of food science
Presenters:
Deon Mahoney
What will food science and technology bring to our future and how can we contribute?
Dr Lisa Szabo
Food science career journey and the future
National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology and provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of Australian scientists to the world of knowledge. It also aims to encourage an interest in science pursuits among the public, and to encourage younger people to be fascinated by the world we live in.
National Science Week is an opportunity for everyone to talk science, see science and do science.
Date: Monday 17th August
Time: 1:00pm - 2:30pm (AEST)
About the Speakers
Deon Mahoney
Deon Mahoney possesses wide ranging, long-term experience across food science and technology. He has post graduate qualifications from the University of Sydney, and over his career he has performed in various roles: including the development of food safety policy, microbiological risk assessment, risk communication, development and enforcement of food legislation, establishing food safety programs, and training and education
As Head of Food Safety at PMA A-NZ, Deon provides high level technical guidance and support to the fresh produce industry with the goal of ensuring the safety and suitability of products. Deon also undertakes consultancy work for the food industry through Deon Mahoney Consulting.
Deon has previously worked for the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, and Dairy Food Safety Victoria. He has worked in over 25 countries and provided forward-looking scientific advice addressing factors that impact the safety of food products; developed and published a wide range of technical content and guidance materials; and been actively involved in Listeria monocytogenes standard setting, incident investigation, and response.
Deon is a fellow of Australia Institute of Food Science and Technology.
Lisa Szabo
Lisa joined the New South Wales Food Authority as its chief scientist in January 2006 and became its chief executive officer in 2015. The Food Authority is a statutory authority within the Department of Regional New South Wales and is responsible for food regulation across the food supply chain.
Prior to joining the NSW Food Authority, Lisa worked at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) for 11 years. There she led and managed long-term research projects for various food industry sectors.
Lisa has a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours from the University of Queensland and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree in microbiology from the same university. She had post-doctoral research experiences in the United Kingdom and Germany. She has been an expert advisor or member on several national and state government inquires and committees. In the national food regulatory system, Lisa represents the interests of NSW on the Food Regulation Standing Committee.
