Dr Roy Betts, Head of Microbiology at Campden BRI, has been acknowledged for his contribution to the food industry with a top award from the Society of Food Hygiene and Technology (SOFHT).

The Dorothy Cullinane Award, which recognises excellence in food safety, food hygiene, and food technology, was presented to Dr Betts at the SOFHT 2018 awards by TV personality Kate Quilton, SOFHT Chair Fiona Kibby, Head of Regulatory and Food Safety at Tesco, and Chris Turner, Director of Rokill Pest Control Services, who headed up the SOFHT awards judging committee.

“Roy has received the award for many years of expert guidance which has provided exceptional training provision to both industry and enforcement professionals, as well as his work on risk and crisis management for the sector,” said Kibby. “ His expertise is frequently called upon to provide advice and solutions to industry-wide problems, and the positive impact he has had cannot be underestimated. It was no surprise to see him receive a standing ovation!”

Betts was appointed to the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) in 2011 and currently leads a 45-strong team as head of food microbiology at Campden BRI. He is the overall manager of all Campden BRI UKAS-accredited microbiology testing.

“It is a great honour and a privilege to receive such a prestigious award from my peers. I thoroughly enjoy my work and have a great team and organisation behind me,” said Betts.”

Betts began his work at Campden BRI in 1984 as a research officer concentrating on food hygiene. He then progressed to work on test method research for pathogens and was on the committee that developed the ISO 16140 standard for validating microbiology test methods, before becoming head of microbiology in 1997.

He has been involved in many committees over past years including the Association of Official Analytical Chemists Research Institute, the British Standards Institution, the Food and Drink Federation Food Hygiene Sub-Committee, International Life Sciences Institute Microbiology Risk Assessment Task Force. He currently chairs the MicroVal General Committee on test method validation.

The Dorothy Cullinane Award is in memory of Dorothy Cullinane, a highly regarded expert in food labelling, especially in relation to food allergies. Winners are chosen exclusively by the SOFHT Council. The first winner of the award, in 2014, was David Reading, founder of the Anaphylaxis Campaign.