Dr Simon Brooke-Taylor received his BSc (Hons) in biochemistry (toxicology) and his doctoral degree in toxicology from the University of Surrey, Guilford, UK. He is an expert in food risk analysis with over 30 years experience in the food sector, both in manufacturing and in regulation. While employed at the Australia New Zealand Food Authority, he had a leading policy and technical role in the development of current Australasian food standards. He has also participated extensively in the development of international food standards through involvement in the technical committees of the Codex Alimentarius Commissions, notably in the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants and the World Trade Organization. He currently works as an independent consultant providing food safety and risk analysis services to government and industry, in Australia and internationally. He is also a member of the USP Expert Committee on Food Ingredients undertaking the periodic revision of the Food Chemicals Codex.