In 2024/25, the Food Standards Agency were notified of more than 260 allergen incidents. Among these was the notable peanut-mustard event which impacted 56 brands.
As such, this year’s Food Safety Briefing will bring together a range of food safety experts.
Food Safety Briefing 2026 - key details
When: 8 October at 3pm BST
Where: Online. Register here.
Meet the food safety experts
Jodie Wild, head of incidents unit, Food Standards Agency
Jodie Wild is a crisis management expert with over 17 years of experience leading incident response across multiple government sectors.
As head of the incidents unit at the FSA, she has shaped key change programmes focused on improving efficiency and ensuring systems are fit for purpose.
Wild brings deep expertise in emergency preparedness and continuous improvement, with a career grounded in public safety, strategic leadership, and a strong understanding of operational risk in diverse environments.
Nic Sharman, director, Nic Sharman Consultancy Ltd
Nic Sharman has 30 years’ practical experience in the food industry, across manufacturing, hospitality and retail.
During her time at M&S as the factory standards manager, she was responsible for developing the industry manufacturing standards, the food safety and integrity audits.
She has global experience as a food safety and integrity auditor with knowledge across all food and beverage categories. She established Nic Sharman Consultancy Ltd in 2020 and Cibus Solutions Ltd in 2023.
Sharman takes a pragmatic professional approach with her clients to drive standards, work with teams to ensure they meet their customer requirements and delivers tailored projects for her clients.
Cibus Solutions Ltd conducts audits for retailers or manufacturers supply chains in the food and beverage industry.
Callum Whyborne, lead application engineer, Unibloc Hygienic Technologies
Callum Whyborne, BEng, is the lead application engineer at Unibloc Hygienic Technologies.
An experienced engineer, Whyborne boasts nearly a decade of pump technology expertise in both hygienic and industrial applications.
Prior to joining Unibloc, he worked for a global leading centrifugal pump manufacturer as an application engineer in the UK. He is dedicated to using his expertise to provide optimal pumping solutions throughout a broad range of industries.
Dr Bert Popping, chief executive officer, FOCOS, and co-founder, Food-Orbit
Dr Bert Popping is the EO of FOCOS, a strategic food safety consultancy, and co-founder of Food-Orbit, which specialises in food regulatory and compliance services. He has more than 25 years of experience in food safety and analytical sciences, and has held senior roles in public institutions and the global laboratory industry.
Popping’s work focuses on integrating emerging technologies, including AI-driven analytics, distributed ledger systems, and portable, easy-to-use testing platforms into food safety strategies. He supports manufacturers, regulators and service laboratories in implementing innovative solutions that enhance traceability, authenticity verification, and rapid risk assessment across the supply chain.
He has served as an expert on multiple FAO/WHO consultations, including recent Codex work on allergen thresholds and exemptions, and sits on several international standardisation committees shaping performance criteria for new analytical methods.
He has also authored over 75 peer-reviewed publications and co-edited Present Knowledge in Food Safety – A Risk-based Approach Through the Supply Chain.
Paul Bradley, senior director of product marketing, TraceGains
Paul Bradley is a veteran product development and marketing leader with more than two decades of experience in technology and consulting.
He has a deep focus in the food and beverage, restaurant and retail sectors. Over his career, he has partnered with some of the world’s most dynamic brands, helping them harness digital innovation to strengthen food safety, compliance, and operational performance.
A passionate yet pragmatic advocate for AI and automation, Bradley champions technology as a critical enabler for building resilience, transparency, and scale in today’s complex global food system.
