Fonterra Director of Research and Development Clinches Prestigious Food Safety Award
Dr Pierre Venter has been honoured with the Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award at this year’s New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology Awards.
Pierre is the driving force behind the co-operative’s food safety and quality science that forms the foundation of our risk management.
As our Director of Research and Development, Dr Venter brings over two decades of innovation and extensive experience to the table.
Vincent Arbuckle, the Deputy Director-General of New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS), presented the award to Pierre saying, "Dr Venter has built a reputation for transformation, operations optimisation, innovative strategic thinking, working with the highest level of integrity, and a deep commitment to product leadership culture and people development."
Dr Venter’s team has achieved numerous significant milestones, including two global patents: a tool for advanced risk communication with a broad range of risk managers, including regulators and customers to improve collaboration, and spatial modelling of pathogen distribution inside manufacturing facilities.
Mr Arbuckle also highlighted Dr Venter’s broader leadership in food safety science, his active support of other New Zealand businesses, his role in supervising post-graduate students, and his contributions to the New Zealand Food Safety and Science Research Centre.
This award reflects the collaborative efforts and accomplishments of many in the food safety community, and in particular the team at the Fonterra Research and Development Centre.
Pierre hopes that this recognition will inspire others to pursue a career in food safety and to continue the innovative thinking and growth of the discipline.
"Food safety is not merely a matter of science and technology, but also of social and ethical commitment. Much of my career has been dedicated to advancing the understanding and application of food safety science, and to collaborating with various partners to ensure the highest standards of food quality and safety."
He added, "This award reflects the collaborative efforts and accomplishments of many in the food safety community, and in particular the team at the Fonterra Research and Development Centre."
Mr Arbuckle acknowledged NZFS’s support of the award as a tangible opportunity to recognise champions of food safety culture, research and applications in food production saying, "We applaud Dr Venter, award nominees and past winners whose innovation and commitment support New Zealand’s world-class food safety system."