Food Fortress Appoints New Leadership to Safeguard Global Feed and Food Safety

Strategic Insights -

Food Fortress, a leading organisation in animal feed contaminant testing, has appointed Sean McGlynn as its new Chairman of the Board, succeeding Dr. Keith Agnew as Chief Executive. The leadership change was confirmed in a recent Board meeting, where new Chairman McGlynn paid tribute to outgoing Chief Executive Robin Irvine, who played a pivotal role in shaping the organisation since its inception. Under Irvine's leadership, Food Fortress developed a world-leading testing service that safeguards livestock and food production across the UK and Ireland.

Key Takeaways:

  • Food Fortress coordinates the testing of compound animal feeds for four major contaminant classes: mycotoxins, dioxins and PCBs, heavy metals, and pesticides.
  • The organisation's membership includes feed compounders and raw material suppliers from Northern Ireland, Great Britain, and the Republic of Ireland, with full alignment across Northern Ireland's feed industry.
  • Food Fortress's testing programme involves the annual analysis of around 800 tests on compound feed samples, carried out at Queen's Global Institute of Food Technology and supported by Belfast-based Precision Analysis.
  • Findings, combined with supplier data, are shared with members on an anonymised basis to ensure sector-wide access to vital risk information.
  • The organisation's work complements raw material suppliers' own testing, providing a fully comprehensive early-warning system should these contaminants enter the feed production chain.
  • Dr. Keith Agnew highlighted the importance of Food Fortress's role in safeguarding the food supply chain, stating that the organisation delivers an all-embracing testing and analysis service, officially recognised by DAERA in Northern Ireland and UFAS at UK level.

Statistics:

  • 800: The number of tests on compound feed samples analysed annually by Food Fortress.
  • 80%: The percentage of livestock products from the island of Ireland destined for export.
  • 4: The number of major contaminant classes tested by Food Fortress: mycotoxins, dioxins and PCBs, heavy metals, and pesticides.

Sources:

  • [No specific source mentioned in the original text, but the article appears to be based on a press release or statement from Food Fortress.]