Press release ILVO researcher Lieve Herman elected as president of the Scientific Committee of the FASFC
ILVO researcher and department head Lieve Herman has been elected as president of the Scientific Committee of the FASFC. This committee has the important task of identifying hazards in the food chain, assessing risks and formulating independent scientific opinions on these subjects. It is not the first external function that Lieve Herman holds. Last year, she became the first Flemish scientist to be appointed to a scientific advisory body of the OECD, and in 2018 she was elected vice-chair of the Panel on Biological Hazards of the European Food Authority EFSA.
The Scientific Committee of the Food Agency - SciCom for short - is composed of 22 strictly selected, independent Belgian scientists. Every four years, membership is opened up and everyone gets the chance to apply. Lieve Herman has been a member since 2001, but will take on the role of Chair for the next four years. Philippe Delahaut of CER Groupe will be vice president during that time.
SciCom provides scientific advice to the FASFC with regard to food safety risks and their control. Such advice can be prepared at the request of the FASFC or on its own initiative.
Lieve Herman (ILVO): "I strongly believe in the strength of the Scientific Committee and its usefulness for a well-supported food safety policy. As an independent collective of scientists, we bring together the available scientific knowledge in readable advice for the policy. We do this with respect for each other and each other's opinion. I am honored to lead this team for the next four years, together with my vice president."
Who is Lieve Herman?
Dr. Lieve Herman heads the Technology & Food Science Department within ILVO. She is also co-founded the Food Pilot in Melle 10 years ago. Since 2001, she has been part of the Scientific Committee of the FASFC and since 2015 the Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) of EFSA. In 2018, she was elected as Vice-Chair of that BIOHAZ panel, and last year she got a place on the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the OECD Cooperative Research Program (CRP) on biological resource management for sustainable agricultural systems. Her areas of expertise are food safety (food microbiology and hygiene), food quality and risk assessments of microorganisms and molecular processes.
