Government Chemist Conference - Safe food for tomorrow’s world: evidence-based measurement solutions for responsible regulation (recordings available below)
The Government Chemist Conference took place on 23–24 June 2026 at Nexus, University of Leeds Innovation Hub, bringing together experts from across science, industry and policy to explore how measurement science can support a modern and responsive food regulatory system.
Set against growing pressures on the global food system, including climate change, population growth and rapid technological change, the conference highlighted the importance of robust evidence, proportionate regulation and effective collaboration to ensure food safety, authenticity and long‑term sustainability.
Hosted by the UK Government Chemist, Julian Braybrook, the event opened with an overview of the Government Chemist’s statutory role in providing independent referee analysis under UK legislation. This function remains critical in resolving disputes between enforcement authorities and food businesses, supporting evidence-based decisions and reducing the need for legal proceedings. Recent investment and the move to new laboratory facilities in Guildford have strengthened national capability, enabling enhanced analytical work and supporting a refreshed programme focused on emerging challenges.
Across two days of discussion, a clear message emerged: robust data, reliable measurement and strong collaboration are essential to navigating increasingly complex food systems, maintaining consumer trust and enabling innovation.
If you attended and haven’t completed the feedback form yet, there is still time, the Government Chemist team would like to hear from you.
If you were unable to attend, or would like to revisit key insights, presentation recordings are now available to watch on demand (links below). You will also find a list of resources covering some of the projects, programmes and organisations mentioned during the conference (below).
Video recordings
Day 1: https://youtu.be/43eD9hfgrE4
Session 1: Responsible regulation for food (starts 0:00:00):
- Chair's Introduction: Julian Braybrook, Office of the Government Chemist
- Keynote: Future food- importance for society and the economy: Ian Young, Food Standards Agency
- Review of Government Chemist referee cases 2023-26: Paul Hancock, Office of the Government Chemist
- Port health regulatory environment regulation and AI: Anthony Baldock, Chair, APHA
- Measuring tomorrow’s table: Testing approaches and regulatory challenges: Wing-yan Winnie Chum, Hong Kong Government Laboratory.
Session 2: Measurement for evolving food systems (starts 2:15:15)
- Chair's introduction: Ian Lonsdale, Defra
- Keynote- Microbial technologies to save our soils: Jack Gilbert, University of California
- Advancing the reliability of honey authenticity data: Adrian Charlton, Fera , Selvarani Elahi, Office of the Government Chemist
- From data to action: How industry intelligence strengthens food integrity: Ruth Mcdonald, fiin and James Doyle, Creme Global
- Advancing STEC diagnostics to support risk management: Matthew Gilmour, FSRN
- Flavour challenges in alternative proteins: Jane Parker, University of Reading
- From incidents to insights: Collaborative food fraud intelligence for evidence: John Points, Food Authenticity Network.
Day 2: https://youtu.be/vaZVU5cFX7U
Session 3- Engineering our future food (starts 0:00:00):
- Chair's introduction: Maddie Cass, UK BioIndustry Association
- Measurement challenges associated with microbial food systems: Karen Polizzi, Bezos Centre
- Measurement challenges for a new generation of food products – EngBio and CCPs: Malcolm Burns, NML at LGC
- All Ireland agri-food research: measurement challenges for improved nutrition: Gary Williamson, Queens University Belfast
- Addressing metrics and standard challenges in alternative protein: Taskeen Niaz, University of Leeds/NAPIC
- Speaker Panel Q&A: Maddie Cass, UK BioIndustry Association
- Networking deep dive: EngBioMet: NML at LGC.
Session 4- Protecting our environment (starts 2:17:50):
- Chair's introduction: Gary Williamson, Queens University Belfast
- A multi-method platform for detection and characterisation of microplastics: Dorota Bartczak, NML at LGC
- Allergen detection in non-dairy milks: Christopher McElroy, NML at LGC
- The importance of soil health for food production: Simon Jeffrey, Harper Adams University
- Improving quality, availability and accessibility of food enviro impact data: Matthew Anderson-Barker, WRAP
- Closing remarks: Julian Braybrook, Office of the Government Chemist.
Conference resources
A full list of resources mentioned throughout the conference is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a67163a1557992b0f3dba4a/Government_Chemist_Conference_2026_-_list_of_resources.docx.
