Recognised as the go-to event for the entire food contact value chain, Smithers' Food Contact Asia conference returns November 28-29, 2023 in the online format to once again ignite important discussion around the regulatory landscape and market demand for packaged food and beverage products, and new opportunities for global expansion across all sectors of the food contact materials supply chain."A great opportunity to get expert guidance from Industry Leaders, Regulators and compliance specialist, on Packaging Compliance issues facing the Asian Food "
- Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited
Tom Carr has been in the Plastic Packaging Industry for 31 years, beginning his career with Trigon Packaging Systems in 1991 as a BSc(Tech) Student. Working in the Research and Development lab of their Hamilton plant, he became proficient in film analysis and physical properties testing of plastic packaging. In 2009, he ventured into the world of packaging regulatory compliance. Mentored by Sealed Air’s Regulatory Directors in Europe (Dario Dainelli) and America (Martin Ecoff), the learning curve was steep, but rewarding, eventually overseeing the compliance needs for Sealed Air’s Australia/New Zealand products, predominantly for Fonterra and the NZ Meat industry.
In 2015, Tom moved his family to Palmerston North to join Fonterra’s Packaging innovation and Development Team as a Senior Packaging Technologist at Fonterra’s Research and Development Centre. For the past 5 years Tom has overseen packaging compliance for Fonterra’s local and export business.
Fun fact: Tom is passionate about Litter reduction, and was Keep New Zealand Beautiful’s “Tidy Kiwi Award for 2017”, for picking up over 1300kg of litter between 2015 and 2017. Tom continues to pick up litter where-ever he goes, and can happily report he has picked up litter in Shanghai, Amsterdam, Berlin, Heathrow, and too many NZ Cities and towns to mention.
Marco has been involving in food contact materials for more than 20 years. In 2008, He worked as a visiting scientist at Joint research Center of European Commission. Marco is the member of Reviewing Committee for China National Food Safety Standards, and the member of Standardization Committee for plastic food contact material and food contact paper. To date, he has published more than 100 papers in journals and academic conferences. Marco was assigned by the authority since 2014 to draft a serial of Chinese legislations including multilayer packaging, wood and bamboo, Paper and paper board, as well as specific migration methods.
Marco was also appointed as the chairperson of expert committee for FCMs in China food industry association ,The chairperson of working force for China sustainable food contact material, and the member of scientific committee (SC) of International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe, dedicating to assist government and industry to manage the safety and sustainable FCMs on a scientific manner.
Joined Dow Chemical since 2003 and engaged in product safety and regulatory compliance during last 17 years crossing multiple businesses. Has extensive experience and in regulatory fields of many product such as general chemical, food/food contact etc. and rich knowledge of product risk assessment. Over years, participated many advocacy projects of product regulations-pharmaceutical DMF regulation, cosmetic material management and food contact national standard etc., also played some leadership roles in local industrial associations-Vice Chair of IPEC (China)(2009-2011), Multiple Food Contact Product Taskforce Leaders in AICM (2011-2017) , and vice chair in Food Contact Expert Committee under China National Food Industry Association (2015-2017). Transferred to current role to take accountability of product compliance and safety stewardship for all Dow P&SP portfolios in pan-Asia since 2016.
Bonnie Zhang graduated from Fudan University as Ph.D, majoring Pharmaceutics. She works in Nouryon as Senior Regulatory Manager who is responsible for monitoring regulatory update and executing regulatory advocacy strategy in agreement with business stakeholders.
She has more than 10 years regulatory affairs experiences with chemical control laws, food packaging, medical device and fragrances. Before joined Nouryon, Bonnie Zhang worked in international companies as Product stewardship and compliance manager where she managed regulatory communication and advocacy, product compliance check, customer support activities in food packaging industry. She also supported Dangerous chemicals, pharma excipient IDL application, cosmetic and medical device certificate related issues.
Dr. Zhang is leading a team of regulatory experts in AP region covering China, Korea and Japan. Service scope of her team incl. industrial chemicals, food contact materials and cosmetics. As a regulatory toxicologist with 15 years experiences, Dr. Zhang helps Chemical manufactures understand and comply with global regulations during producing and using of new and existing chemicals. She has successfully delivered compliance solutions to more than 200 International chemical manufacturers.
Dr. Zhang has extensive expertise on global chemical notification programs and product safety assessment strategies base on different applications e.g., food packaging materials and cosmetics raw ingredients. With GLP experiences and regulatory expertise, her team helps chemical industry address challenging regulatory requirements in a timely and cost-effective manner, by developing and successfully executing of test data, and providing expert judgment of waiving statements.
Dr. Zhang acquired her Medical Doctoral Degree in School of Pharmacy Shanghai Jiao Tong University. She is now a Member of Council of Chinese Society of Toxicology (CST) and a subcommittee member of the Society of Toxicity industrial chemicals, subcommittee member of food safety, alternative toxicology, CST.
Danhof Lee is currently the Consultant for Regulatory Affair & Technical Administration, Asia Pacific PPG Packaging Coatings. He graduated from Shanghai University. Before joining PPG he had worked as engineer and subsidiary company director of a state-run paint coating manufacturer. After joining PPG Packaging Coatings he was Business Manager, Coating and Ink Technical Service Manager, China. Since 2007 he had been PS & Technical Administration Manager of AP and Director of Regulatory Affair & Technical Administration, Asia Pacific. Mr. Lee has been in the role of leader who encourages and inspires team with insightful guidance. He possesses talent of foreseeing, evaluating the needs from home and abroad, to ensure R&D run on a more effective and correct way. In 2010 Mr. Lee was elected as Coating Subcommittee Chair of Industry Policy Advocacy Committee (IPAC), AICM and has been working with it till now.
Ms. GuiQin SHANG graduated from Xiamen University with a master's degree in analytical chemistry in 2007. She has engaged in food contact material safety for 14 years, and mainly involved in chemical analysis, safety assessment, legislative promotion, and industry practice of food contact material. She has been serving as an expert in various organizations, such as National Food Safety Standards Evaluation Committee of Food Related products, the Technical Committee for Standardization of Plastic Articles (SAC/TC397/SC6), Paper Articles (SAC /TC141/SC3) and metals Articles (SAC/TC397/SC5). To date, she has edited and published The Practical Guide on the Quality Control, Inspection And Supervision of Food Contact Materials, The Guide to The Evaluation and Declaration of New Varieties of Food Contact Materials, The Safety Evaluation of Food Contact Materials and The Construction of Evaluation Parameters in China, and has participated in the compilation of foreign Laws and regulations on Food Contact Materials.While has participated in drafting 14 National Food Safety Standards for nipple, coatings , rubber, etc., and published more than 20 papers on Food Contact Materials.
2021 to date, Food Contact Material Regulatory Manager, PPG PKG AP
2011-2021, Product Stewardship Manager, PPG Auto, IC
2007-2011, Food Contact Chemical and Product Safety Advisor, Clariant
15 years’ product compliance experience in chemical industry from raw material to food contact coating; comprehensive understanding about FCM regulations within China and AP region; broad regulatory knowledge on coating safety management
Eric Gu advises domestic and foreign clients on the requirements and regulations for a variety of consumer products, including foods, food additives, food packaging materials, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and associated labeling, with a focus on China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and other Asian countries.
Prior to joining Keller and Heckman, Mr. Gu worked as an attorney in law firms in Shanghai and New York and acquired deep understanding of both China and U.S. laws and practice. While attending the University of Wisconsin Law School, Mr. Gu participated in the Thomas Tang National Moot Court Competition and served as an IRS-certified volunteer for assistance in federal individual income tax filing.
Coming soon...
Sylvain Rannou holds a PhD of Polymer Science & Engineering from The University of Manchester, UK.
With over 15 years’ experience in the polymer and food packaging industry, in the UK and in Singapore, his expertise covers a range of functions and skillsets: from packaging development, polymer processing & regulatory compliance, to training & coaching, issue management and networking to leverage expertise.
Having previously worked in R&D for Mars Drinks UK and A*STAR Singapore, he spent 11 years in Nestlé, first as Packaging Safety & Compliance (PS&C) Expert for the Nestlé Quality Assurance Center (NQAC), covering the Asia-Oceania-Africa (AOA) zone, followed by a similar position in the Nestlé Dairy business to support the global implementation of the PS&C program for new packaging solutions.
In November 2022, he moved to a new role with PPG, to support regulatory compliance in Asia-Pacific of food-contact coatings used in two of PPG’s businesses: Packaging and Kitchen Industrial Bakeware (KIB).
Senior Engineer from Product Safety Dept. and R&D Team of Amcor China, working in flexible packaging industry for more than 15 years, engaged in the work related to quality management, technology and product safety. Familiar with the flexible packaging industry and upstream and downstream products, Jieling has rich experience in the safety and compliance assessment of flexible packaging products.
