Dr Simon Brooke-Taylor – Director and Principal Consultant

Simon Brooke-Taylor established Brooke-Taylor & Co in Jan 2001 to provide specialist consultancy services in risk assessment, regulatory affairs, toxicology, food safety and compliance to the food sector. Our clients include both Australian and multinational food manufacturers, importers and distributors [large and small], food industry associations, research organisations and government agencies.

Simon has a BSc in Biochemistry (Toxicology) and PhD in Toxicology from the University of Surrey, is a Master Brewer member of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and a Professional Member of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology and over thirty five years experience in technical and production roles in the food sector.

Simon has extensive knowledge of ANZ food standards. Between 1991 – end 2000, he held a variety senior positions with the predecessors of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (the National Food Authority (NFA) and the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA)) where he had leading policy and scientific roles in the development of the  joint Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

Simon has also participated extensively in the development of international food standards, including leading the Australian delegation at meetings of Codex committees and serving as rapporteur to the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants and as a WHO adviser to the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).
During 2020-22 Simon participated as member of the Ad Hoc FAO/WHO Expert Panel on Risk Assessment of Food Allergens, Meetings 1-5, including chairing meeting 4:

• Meeting 1: Review and validation of Codex priority allergen list through risk assessment;
• Meeting 2: Review and establish threshold levels in foods of the priority allergens;
• Meeting 3: Review and establish precautionary labelling in foods of the priority allergens;
  
• Meeting 4: Establish exemptions from mandatory declaration for priority food allergens;
• Meeting 5:Review and establish threshold levels for specific tree nuts (brazil nut, macadamia nut or queensland nut, pine nut), soy, celery, lupin, mustard, buckwheat and oats.