1st Croatian Food Safety Risk Assessment Conference
6 – 7 October 2015
Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek (Kralja Petra Svačića street 1d)
- Davide Arcella
Officer
Evidence Management Unit
Risk Assessment and Scientific Assistance Directorate
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)Officer in the Risk Assessment and Scientific Assistance Directorate, Evidence Management Unit at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). He is leading the Exposure Tam which is responsible for the collection and analysis of food consumption data and for the development and application of new methodologies for dietary exposure assessment. In this context, he carries out or supervises the assessment of exposure to different type of chemicals in food and animal feed (e.g. contaminants, flavourings, food additives, packaging residues, nutrients, and pesticides) for stand-alone reports or in support of EFSA panels or units.
Mr. Arcella holds a master’s degree in statistical and demographic sciences from “La Sapienza” University (Rome, Italy); he has worked in the area of food safety since 1998. In particular, he is an expert in food consumption data and dietary exposure assessment. He started his career at the Italian National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition (INRAN), where he worked as a scientist for almost 10 years. In 2007 he joined EFSA and became a member of the FAO/WHO roster of JECFA experts for exposure assessment of chemicals in food. - Academician Ferdo Bašić, prof. emeritus
Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, participant of the WFS, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, CroatiaCroatian Agro-ecologist Ferdo Bašić has matured in the circle of the Zagreb agro-ecological school, the backbone of which is the Department of General Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture University of Zagreb. Nearly five decades of work dedicated to research of the soil, land management and soil protection, inspired by words of the founder of the Department Academician Gračanin: Croatian soils are greatest treasure of the Croatian people, the inexhaustible source of his power and the foundation of the Croatian homeland. To know them means to know the foun-dations on which Croatia exists…
The texts of which is the author from 1983 to the present only in Croatia taught more than 150 000 students of secondary agricultural schools. His lectures remember students of more faculties of the University of Zagreb; first of all parent – Agronomy, and postgraduate study “Environmental engineering”. They listened students of the oldest our agricultural colleges in Križevci; Mediterranean Agriculture, University of Split; agronomy at the University of Mostar and the University of Sarajevo.
The credibility of his verbal and written appearances originates from research. Academician Bašić is author of more than 250 scientific papers (a1-25, a2-59, a3 80), author or editor of the over one hundred scientific and professional books and over 350 scientific papers. We emphasize monograph titles The Soils of Croatia, published by the prestigious publishing house Springer (Dordrecht, Heidelberg, London and New York). He relies on teamwork, so with his name there is over three hundred and fifty co-authors, of which over one hundred from abroad – all continents. His web page, where you can find much more details, visited over 11 000 times numerous visitor all over the world.
With its overall effect, especially in the agroecological valorisation – Regionalization of Croatian agriculture, the creation and promotion of environmentally, economically and socially sustainable land management as backbone of sustainable intensification of plant growing in different agro-ecological conditions, had a deep impact on Croatian agricultural sciences. - Andrea Gross – Bošković, Master of food technology and biotechnology
Director
Croatian Food Agency (HAH)Born in Zagreb. After finishing the mathematic-informatics high school, began to study at the Faculty of Food and Biotechnology Technology, University of Zagreb, where graduated in 1995 on food engineering and biochemical engineering.
First job was in a chemical company “Meteor” Đakovo as a head of Laboratories for control and development of new products. Since January 2005 started to work in the Croatian Food Agency, first as head of Risk analysis department, and after reorganization, as a head of the Risk assessment department. Meanwhile, from June 2007 to June 2008, she was on the position of acting deputy director. Since 1 July 2013 she is in position of Director.At the Faculty of Food Technology Osijek is currently attending postgraduate studies of food technology.
In the previous period, finished a series of domestic and foreign education related to risk assessment and communication in the country and abroad as well as the implementation and control of HACCP system in the food industry.
She is a member of EFSA Scientific network for microbiological risk assessment (MRA), EFSA Emerging risk exchange network (EREN) as well as national member of the EFSA Advisory Forum.
During negotiations, she was a member of the working group for preparation of negotiations – acquis communautaire, Chapter 12 – Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary protection, and is full member of the Croatian Society of Chemical Engineers, Croatian Society of Food Technologists, Biotechnologists and Nutritionists and Croatian Microbiology society. - Dr Leif Busk
Scientific Expert
National Food Administration (NFA), SwedenLeif Busk is presently working as a Scientific Adviser at the Swedish National Food Agency (NFA). He has lately been involved in the development and application of the principles of risk analysis with emphasis on risk ranking, the influence of other legitimate factors and risk communication at NFA. Within the European framework he has been involved in methods for exposure assessments with a special interest in tools for Food Description and Categorisation. Among other things he chaired the EFSA Working Group that developed FoodEx2.
Dr Busk obtained his basic training as a Toxicologist at Uppsala University and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. He has more than forty years of experience in regulatory toxicology from the pharmaceutical and food sector, working both as researcher, risk assessor and manager. Leif Busk has been the Swedish representative in the Advisory Forum of EFSA since the start in 2003. - Prof dr Irena Colić Barić
Full Professor
Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of ZagrebProf Dr Irena Colic Baric is a full professor with permanent occupation at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, where she graduated, obtained MSc and PhD in the field of Biotechnology. She established the undergraduate and graduate study of Nutrition, whose head has been for 9 years. She is the coordinator of the postgraduate PhD study of Nutrition.
She has supervised more than 20 doctoral, master’s and postgraduate specialist thesis and more than 100 undergraduate and graduate scientific papers.
She was the coordinator/associate at more than 20 national and international scientific and expert projects and is author/co-author of more than 80 scientific papers. Last 10 years, she has been collaborating on various projects with the food industry. During her professional carrier, she obtained experience at universities in the United States and Europe. She is a member of the working groups in the ministries and agencies, and editorial boards in scientific and professional journals in the field of food, nutrition and health.
She has been active in the Croatian Food Agency since 2005 to date. She has been for 8 years chair of the Scientific Panel for Nutrition, Allergens and Food for Special Dietary Needs. Since 2007, she is a member of the EFSA Working Group on Food Consumption Data. - Dr Eleonora Dupouy
Food Safety and Consumer Protection Officer
Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)Ms Eleonora Dupouy, Doctor in Food Science and Technologies and Associate Professor in Public Nutrition. Since 2009 holds the position of Food Safety and Consumer Protection Officer with the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO), Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, Budapest, Hungary – responsible for planning, leading and coordinating the implementation of the regular and field programme in Food Safety and Nutrition, including provision of technical support, policy advice, and capacity development.
Before joining FAO, Ms Dupouy held the position of Head of Food Science and Nutrition Department at the Technical University of Moldova, taught courses of Human Nutrition, Food Toxicology and Safety and conducted research with focus on new foods development with increased functionality, reduction of anti-nutritional properties of new functional ingredients of plant-origin.
- Dr Suzan Fiack
Head of the Unit Press and Public Relations
Department Risk Communication
Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), GermanyDr Suzan Fiack is Head of the Unit Press and Public Relations in the Department Risk Communication at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Germany. She is responsible for implementing BfR’s communication strategy with the aim of informing the public and stakeholders about possible risks and other scientific results. Her team translates scientific findings into easily comprehensible information and recommendations on consumer health protection for different target audiences, making use of classical tools as well as new formats including videos, smartphone applications and social media. The Unit Press and Public relations at BfR is a multi-disciplinary team of professionals in press and public relations, communication, science editing, video and web development as well as publishing. Suzan Fiack received her PhD in pharmacy from the Humboldt University in Berlin and worked as scientist in the pharmaceutical industry. Before arriving at BfR she was Business Development Director in the publishing sector (Blackwell Publishing and John Wiley & Sons). She was head of an international editorial and sales team and worked on solutions to improve outcomes in research, education and professional practice with conference reports, online tools, journals and books.
- Dr Gaby-Fleur Böl
Head
Department Risk Communication
Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), GermanyDr Gaby-Fleur Böl is Head of the interdisciplinary Department Risk Communication at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Berlin since 2006 and also teaches at the University of Potsdam. She studied biochemistry in Hannover, where she completed her doctorate in cellular signal transduction at the Hannover Medical School. She then went on to receive her post doctorate degree on the relationship between diet and cancer at the German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE). In the area of consumer health protection, the Department of Risk Communication at the BfR is in charge of a participative dialogue with interests groups ranging from politics, science, industry, the public sector, associations, media, non-governmental organisations and consumers.
BfR risk communication focuses on risk perception, how to handle perceived risks and scientific uncertainty as well as the evaluation of risk communication measures in areas such as novel technologies, e.g. nano technology, or the differentiation between food supplements and medicinal products. - Dr Max Hansen
Senior Advisor
Department of Risk Assessment and Nutrition
National Food Institute, Technical University of DenmarkActive in research on toxicokinetic studies of elements like cadmium and Iodine in experimental animal with the aim of refining consumer guidance on specific food items. Finalised recently a project for the Danish Environmental Authority on the risk to the consumer on lead in coffee. Has performed research (animal studies and human intervention studies) on potential beneficial compounds in fruit and vegetable. Adverse health effects of simple carbohydrates has been studied in experimental animals. Has been performing risk assessment on inorganic arsenic from rice and some specific rice products in the Danish population and on children from rice based infant food. Is at present running a project for Saudi Arabia with the aim of assessing exposure to inorganic and organic arsenic compound from rice, rice products in Saudi Arabia population. The project will contain analytical work as well as a risk assessment of the results. I am also given advises to the Saudi Food and Drug Authority on the development of the risk assessment unit. Was member of the EFSA working group drafting the opinion on lead in food. Is scientific adviser for the Danish Food and Veterinary Administration on arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, other elements, disinfectant, residues of veterinary medicine substances and many other substances. Teaching: At all levels at DTU and University of Copenhagen. Organising and implementing several international courses on risk assessment of chemicals in food in Europe, Africa and Saudi Arabia for the EU Commission and EFSA.
- Dr Michaela Hempen
Scientific Officer
Unit on Biological Hazards and Contaminants
Risk Assessment and Scientific Assistance Department
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)Studied veterinary medicine at the Free University of Berlin from 1992 to 1999 followed by a PhD in Veterinary Public Health at the same university until 2006 on hygienic quality and associated public health risk of fresh and fermented raw milk in West Africa. Worked on several projects in West Africa from 1999-2006 in the field of food safety research and development. From 2006 to 2007 employed at BfR in Berlin, working on a project on EFSA food-borne outbreak data collection. Since 2007 working at EFSA as a scientific officer in the BIOCONTAM unit.
- Dr Brigita Hengl
Head
Department for Risk Assessment
Croatian Food Agency (HAH)She studied Veterinary medicine at University of Zagreb. In 2012 finished PhD in area of Biotechnical Sciences with the thesis Essential oils and natural zeolite influence on production and health performance of broilers, and microbiological contamination of chicken meat. From 1997 to 2008 worked as a veterinarian inspector in facilities for meat production and meat products, milk production and milk products and have interest in the microbiological hazards associated with food and feed. Has been working in the Croatian Food Agency since 2008 in the Department of risk assessment as senior expert associate. She is a coordinator of the Scientific Committee on the biological hazards in food, and coordinator of working group for Zoonosis. Involved in a number of scientific in house projects in area of
risk assessment and food safety. Member of the EFSA Scientific network for microbiological risk assessment (MRA). - Dr Ada Hočevar Grom
Deputy Director
National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), SloveniaDr Ada Hočevar Grom
Deputy Director
National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), Slovenia
- Prof dr Mirjana Hruškar
Associate Professor
Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of ZagrebProf dr Mirjana Hruškar, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb received her PhD in 2001 in field of Biotechnical Sciences at the same Faculty.
Since 1992 she works in the Laboratory for Food Quality Control where she participates in scientific research and teaching in the field of food analysis, quality control, safety, sensory analysis and traceability to this day.
Prof dr Mirjana Hruškar is co-author of 45 scientific papers and has participated in 63 international scientific conferences. She is co-author of the university handbook. She coordinated many undergraduate, graduate and several master and doctoral thesis. She has participated in nine scientific projects.
She is a member of the Croatian Dairy Association, Croatian Society of Food Technologists, Biotechnologists and Nutritionists (CROFOST) and a member of Croatian Journal of Food Technology, Biotechnology and Nutrition editorial board.
She was the president of Faculty’s Quality Assurance Committee; member of Student Research Committee; Committee for Textbooks, Manuals and Scripts; Graduate Thesis Committee.
2007-2011 she was Vice-dean for education, president of Education Committee and member of Quality Management Commission. 2011-2015 PhD Mirjana Hruškar was Dean of Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb.
She is a member of the Biotechnical Area Council, extended Rector’s Collegium, president of the Quality Assurance Committee and a member of several working groups and commissions at the University of Zagreb. She is a member of CROFOST directing board, member of Council for Monitoring in the Food Industry Agricultural Processing Sector of the Ministry of Agriculture and the president of the Croatian Food Agency’s Scientific Committee.
She won the Annual Award for Scientific Research (Society of University Professors and Other Scientists in Zagreb) and the Award for the long-term and successful cooperation and remarkable contribution to the higher education, science and profession promotion (Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology). - Prof dr Ivica Kisić
Full Professor
Faculty of Agriculture, University of ZagrebProfessor Ivica Kisić has published cited scientific papers with 154 scientists from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Montenegro, Czech, Finland, Great Britain, Hungary, Japan, China, Macedonia, Germany, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and USA. So far, as the author or co-author, he has published eight books, and is also the author or co-author of 19 chapters in scientific and professional books. He has participated in 166 scientific papers, as well as 303 technical papers, studies and expertise relating to issues of soil management and protection. A complete list of works can be seen in the Croatian scientific bibliographic database web site (http://bib.irb.hr/lista-radova?autor=174323).
He participated in drafting Croatian Acts and Regulations governing organic farming, as well as the Agricultural Land Act and Regulations regarding soil contamination. He is a member of the National Council for Organic Agriculture and the National Council for Combating Desertification.
He received the annual Croatian Waters award for the best dissertation in 1998, as well as the annual Croatian Waters award for the best scientific paper published in 2006. He received the Honorary Advisor award granted by the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary. He received – awards (Eco Oscar) on the occasion of World Environment Day, awarded by the Ministry of Environment and Nature for achievements in environmental protection in the 2012th year. Also, he got the annual award for science given by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the 2012th year. - Prof dr Lidija Kozačinski
Full Professor
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of ZagrebShe was born in Zagreb. She graduated at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb in 1982. Four years later, she completed postgraduate study and obtained master degree in a field of hygiene and technology of foods of animal origin. In 1999, she defended her doctoral dissertation.
She was elected on 15 March 2011 in the academic title of full professor in the area of biomedicine and health, field of veterinary medicine – veterinary public health and food safety. She has been attending seminars, workshops and courses related to her profession and has continued her education in the field of food microbiology. She finished education in the field of animal welfare for slaughter. She has led and participated in the scientific research projects within the framework of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Education and Science of the Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EU FP5, FP7 and SEE-ERA.NET projects.
She is a head and associate at the courses within the undergraduate and graduate studies, specialist studies and doctoral study at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb. She carries the module at the graduate study of Agroecology at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb. She is an associate at the University Center for Forensic Sciences in Split and head of module at the postgraduate specialist study Food Management too.
Prof dr Kozačinski is a regular member of the Croatian Academy of Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Croatian Food Agency Scientific Committee and chair of the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards. She is expert editor of the scientific and professional journal “Meat”. - Prof dr Zdenko Lonačarić
Full Professor
Faculty of Agriculture in OsijekZdenko Lončarić was born on November 17th 1964 in Osijek and graduated at Faculty of Agriculture April 20th 1989. In 1988, as a graduate student completed an internship at Landessaatzuchtanstalt der Universität Hohenheim, Stuttgart.
He has been employed at the Faculty of Agriculture since November 15th 1992, first as an assistant lecturer in Plant nutrition, and since 1997 in Agrochemistry, Ecophysiology and Fertilization.
At the Faculty of Agriculture of postgraduate studies Plant Protection he finished Master degree in 1996, and his doctoral thesis Mathematical modeling of winter wheat was defended on September 24th in 1999.
He was elected for assistant professor in Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in November 30th 2000, for associate professor in 2006, full professor in 2009, and the permanent full professor in 2015.
In the period 2005 to 2013, he was vice dean for science, and since January 2009 the Head of the Department of Agroecology. Since 2012 he is the President of the Governing Council of College of Agriculture in Križevci.
He published 154 published scientific papers, university textbook Plant Nutrition, 6 university manuals and 6 internal scripts. He has participated in 92 scientific conferences with 32 oral presentations, 95 papers and 99 abstracts.
He has led two national and five other research projects, two bilateral international projects, one international IPA project and he was associate it to other 11 different projects. He was coordinator for Croatia within the COST Action FA0905 Mineral-improved crop production for healthy food and feed.
He led the 7 doctoral theses and 25 graduate theses. He speaks and uses English and German languages.
He is married and has three children. - Dr Mirjana Mataušić Pišl
Assistant Minister
Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate
Ministry of AgricultureDr Mirjana Mataušić Pišl graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb in 1980. In 1985 acquired the master title in field of Chemistry/Biochemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry. In 1995, she got her PhD at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb, and in 2001 finished postdoctoral study at the Institute of Preventive and Clinical Medicine in Bratislava.
Her professional career began in 1980 as a research assistant in the Department for Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, followed by one year working as a veterinary inspector. In 1983 started working at the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health as an associate on scientific projects of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports. Between 2001 and 2008 she served as deputy mayor of Zagreb County. Then she worked as a research associate and head of the unit for laboratory animals at the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health.
Currently she is Assistant Minister in charge of the Veterinary and Food Safety at the Ministry of Agriculture and the president of the Croatian Food Agency Management Board.She has led and participated in scientific research projects within the framework of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb and the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health. Work on the project resulted in the publication of more than 30 scientific and research papers and chapters in various books.
She is a member of Croatian Biological Society, Croatian Toxicology Society, Croatian Immunological Society, the Association for eco-tourism and the protection of endangered plant and animal species, “Green Path”, and a member of the executive board of the association “Education against Breast Cancer.” - Monika Matt DVM
Senior Expert
Data, Statistics and Integrative Risk Assessment Department
Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES)Lives in Innsbruck, Austria and studied veterinary medicine in Munich. In 2004 she joined the AGES, first working for the department of veterinary medicine. Since 2005 she was head of the serology department, since 2007 of the microbiology department (for food and veterinary samples). During internal management training, she gained experience as a trainer facilitating knowledge for different modules: communication, information and awareness, projects, management and leadership, teamwork, teambuilding, conflict management, etc.
In 2009 she attended the course “Animal agriculture and food safety risk analysis” at Vose Risk consulting (Ghent) and continued with an in depth training for QMRA at the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) in Bilthoven, NL, for 6 months. Consequently, she moved to the business area of Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment. She is head of the AGESTask Force Campylobacter (multidisciplinary group), member of the Microbiological risk assessment (MRA) network of EFSA, and coordinator for Austria of the CamChain-project, as well as project leader for several in-house projects concerning foodborne disease. - Dr Breige McNulty
Research Fellow
UCD Institute of Food and Health, IrelandA research fellow within the UCD Institute of Food and Health, Dr Breige McNulty has co-coordinated the National Adults Nutrition Survey (NANS) and National Preschool Nutrition Survey (NPNS) within Ireland. During this period invaluable experience has been gained in collecting, collating and managing large national surveys, and in the analysis of dietary intake data and markers of nutritional status databases pertaining to these surveys. In addition experience has been attained in the utilisation of national surveys for exposure assessment requirements.
Dr Breige McNulty’s main research interests combine metabolic and public health nutrition. Her previous academic background focused on folate and related B-vitamins during pregnancy. Currently, she is focusing on using data from the national surveys to explore factors which influence iodine and iron intakes and status in the Irish population and also to study the relationship between genetics and obesity, wholegrain intake and metabolic health and dietary behaviours in relation to CVD. Furthermore, she has an interest in exposure assessment with a particular focus on additives and pesticide residues. She has had the opportunity to co-write and collaborate on a number of successful grants both nationally and internationally. She is a collaborator in a European funded grant Total Diet Study Exposure an FP7-funded collaborative project.
She has work with companies such as Danone, Cereal Partners Worldwide, Unilever and governmental agencies. She is an invited expert on the ILSI Addition of Nutrients Expert Group and the EFSA Network on Food Consumption Data committees within Europe. She is a member of the Joint Irish Nutri-genomics Organisation (JINGO) and the European Nutritional Phenotype Database Sharing Initiative within the Joint Programming Initiative (JINGO-JPI) and is the current secretary of the Irish section of the Nutrition Society. - Sara Mikrut Vunjak, LL.M.
Senior Expert Adviser for Communication and Public Relations
Head Office
Croatian Food Agency (HAH)More than five years working in the Croatian Food Agency as a senior adviser for communication and public relations. She graduated from the Faculty of Law in Osijek, after which she was educated in the field of public relations. She graduated from the London School of Public Relations (LSPR) and also acquired the title of manager of public relations at the Business Academy Experta, Zagreb. She is currently a doctoral student of European Studies at the University of Josip Juraj Srossmayer in Osijek. She was the National Coordinator of the IPA pre-accession program Preparations for participation of candidate countries and potential candidate countries in the work of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), from 2012 to the end of the program and Croatian accession to the EU. Since 2010, she is a member of the EFSA Advisory Forum Working Group on Communications (AFCWG). The area of her professional and scientific work is: planning, development and implementation of communication strategies, communication management in crisis situations, research on consumer perception, developing of communication campaigns and scientific event management related to the area of risk communication in food safety and others. She is a member of the Croatian Public Relations Association. She speaks English, Italian and French, and has a working knowledge of German.
- Dr Sanja Miloš
Scientific Associate
Senior Expert Adviser
Department for Risk Assessment
Croatian Food Agency (HAH)She is a senior expert adviser in Department for risk assessment of Croatian Food Agency (HAH). She graduated at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Josip Juraj Strossmayer in Osijek. At the same Faculty she attended postdoctoral education and completed doctoral dissertation with theses in field of chemical risk assessment. In addition, she gained postdoctoral scientific title as scientific associate. During her professional carrier she was work as an analyst in the Department of Environmental Health by County Public Health Institute. During the academic year 2004/2005 at Department of Microbiology of the Faculty of Agriculture, carried out the practical exercises for students. In the HAH she is employee from the establishment where she acquired a number of necessary knowledge in the field of risk analysis and risk assessment, especially in the field of pesticides and genetically modified organisms. From 2006 to 2012 she was national coordinator for the IPA pre-accession program, funded by the European Commission entitled: “Preparations for participation of candidate countries and potential candidate countries in the work of EFSA” implemented by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). By joining Croatia’s of full membership of the EU she has been appointed as the national contact (Focal Point) for EFSA in order to ensure faster and easier exchange of scientific information between Croatia and other EU member states. Also, she is appointed representative of the EFSA Scientific Network for Risk Assessment of GMOs.
- Nataša Zorić, Master of Biology
Assistant Minister
Department for Improvement of Health
Ministry of Health - Miljenko Rakić
Head
Sector for Agriculture and Food Industry
Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Croatia - Dr Miranda Šeput
Scientific Advisor
Senior Expert Adviser
Department for Monitoring of Agricultural Land
Agricultural Land AgencyDr.Miranda Šeput, scientific advisor, is the senior expert adviser in the Department for monitoring ofagricultural land inthe Agricultural Land Agency. She graduated on the Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek, get master’s degree on the Faculty of Agriculturein Zagreb;she wrote her doctoral thesis genetic specificity of corn mineral nutrition and defended at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Josip JurajStrossmayer in Osijek.
She is registered scientist in the Ministry of Science and Technology scientific field agronomy,registration number 102205 from 1980. She is scientific adviser in scientific field of agronomy, scientific area biotechnical sciences from 2010.
During her professional career, she worked in the Belje PIK in the Department of Science as an expert associate, and since 1993 as a research expert associate. She was team leader of Scientific Research and Development Sector at Belje, and member of the Board of Belje d.d. until 2003 From 2003 to 2007 she was director of the Institute for Soil.
Since 2007, she is a senior expert advisor at the Institute for Soil, which integrates the Croatian Centre for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and from 2013 the Agency for agricultural land.
She is a member of several expert committees on Regulations for the recognition and protection varieties of agricultural plants, the Agricultural Land Act and other Regulations related to the soil issues.
During profesional carieer she published 35 scientific papers and 26 professional papers. She led and participated in scientific research projects of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, and the Ministry of Agriculture of Croatia.
She is a member of Croatian Society of Soil Science, the Croatian Ecological Association, the Croatian Society of Agronomists, the Croatian Society for the Protection of water, sea, and the European Society of Agronomy (ESA). - Dr Darja Sokolić
Scientific Associate
Head
Department for Data Management and Nutrition
Croatian Food Agency (HAH)Dr Darja Sokolić was born in 1968 in Osijek, where he graduated in 1994 at the Faculty of Food Technology. For thirteen years she worked in Saponia dd Osijek as a technologist and then as director of toilet products production. Since 2008 she has worked in the Croatian Food Agency, where currently she is the head of Department for Data Management and Nutrition. In 2013, she got her doctoral title at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology in Zagreb, in scientific field of Biotechnology.
During her professional career she attended a great number of trainings in the field of process management, quality and food safety, such as: ” Process data management” REFA Bundesverband e.V. Darmstadt in 2002; Internal Auditor ISO 14001: 2004 and ISO 9001: 2008; BTSF trainings: “Chemical Risk Assessment” (Berlin, 2013) and “Nutrition Risk Assessment” (Lisbon, 2015) and training in the framework of FP7 Total Diet Study (TDS) Exposure Summer School in Lisbon (2013). She has published a dozen scientific papers and participated in numerous international and national conferences.
She is a member of the EFSA Working Group on Food Consumption Data and several committees at the Ministry of Agriculture, related to legislation in the field of food safety. Since 2010, she was appointed as WHO INFOSAN Network Focal Point for Croatia. In 2012, she became a leader of the Croatian team of FP7 project TDS Exposure, the largest EU project in the field of food safety, which includes 26 institutions from 19 countries, for a period of 4 years.
Current focus of her professional work includes the collection and generation of data relevant to the risk assessment of contaminants originating from food, with an emphasis on national research on eating habits, creating a database of recipes and a national database of food composition in order to assess the exposure of the Croatian population to contaminants and nutrients. - Dr Mária Szeitzné-Szabó
Food Safety Risk Assessment Directorate
National Food Chain Safety Office (NEBIH), HungaryDr Mária Szeitzné-Szabó is medical doctor by graduation and has a master degree on public health and epidemiology including food safety and nutrition. She got her PhD degree in 2007 in risk assessment. In her professional life she got broad experience in food safety, especially the foodborne diseases, the hazard analysis and food-related risks.
Between 2005 and 2012 she was the general director of Hungarian Food Safety Office. After reorganization of food safety system she has been working for the Food Safety Risk Assessment Directorate of National Food Chain Safety Office.
She is member of Advisory Forum of European Food Safety Authority since the establishment of EFSA, and Hungarian representative in EFSA’s Emerging Risks Network. - Shira Tabachnikoff
International Cooperation Adviser
Communications & External Relations Department
European Food Safety Agency (EFSA)With more than 15 years of professional communications experience, Shira Tabachnikoff has specialised in Science Communications and communicating risk and complex content for the past 10 years. With prior experience in Scientific Publishing, attained at the global market leading company Elsevier as their Director of Corporate Relations, and as the Head of Communications at the European Science Foundation in Strasbourg, France, Shira brings international perspectives to EFSA as well as hands-on experience in issue management and crisis communications. Shira initially started at EFSA as the Head of Channels,
responsible for the website, publications, events, multi-media and social media strategy. Since November 2014, she is now responsible for building stronger international partnerships with European Member States, sister EU agencies and international organisations, such as FAO and WHO. - Dr Bernhard Url
Executive Director
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)Dr. Bernhard Url was appointed Executive Director of EFSA in June 2014, having served as Acting Executive Director for seven months. Dr. Url joined EFSA in June 2012 as Head of the Risk Assessment and Scientific Assistance Department. A qualified veterinarian by training, he brings high-level management experience from food-safety organisations to his role at EFSA.
Prior to joining the Authority, Dr. Url was Managing Director of the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), which represents Austria on EFSA’s Advisory Forum. From 2008 to March 2012, he also served as a member of EFSA’s Management Board. During his 10 years at AGES, he was in charge of technical and scientific affairs with a remit that included the timely delivery of risk assessment and risk management services across a wide range of areas. This included ensuring effective risk communications during urgent food safety-related events.
Prior to AGES Dr. Url spent five years as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Milk Hygiene and Milk Technology at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna before running a food quality control laboratory from 1993 to 2002. Dr. Url graduated from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna in 1987 and became a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1990. He has published in the field of veterinary medicine with a particular focus on listeria and milk hygiene.