Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Biochemistry, Cardiff University, Wales, 1995

Dr. Evans leads the European Food Safety, Nutrition and Regulatory Affairs operation. He has a proven track record in food safety and food regulatory affairs after fifteen years working with the national food regulatory authorities in the UK and Ireland, initially with the Food Standards Agency in the UK from 1999 to 2006, and from 2006 to 2014 with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. 

In his latter post, Dr. Evans was Chief Specialist in Chemical Safety and led the regulatory controls on the safety of chemicals in food. Dr Evans initially joined Exponent in 2014 and successfully developed the European food consultancy services in this role over a four year period. He has recently returned to Exponent after 2 years working as Group Head of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs with a world leading supplier of ingredients to the global food and beverage industry.

Dr. Evans has an in depth understanding of European and international regulation and authorisation of chemicals in the food chain, including food additives, flavourings, enzymes and contaminants, as well as food contact materials, having been the lead National representative for both the UK and Ireland at European Commission expert and regulatory committees where legislative controls in these areas are negotiated and adopted. He has also attended the Codex Committees on Food Additives (CCFA) and Contaminants in Food (CCCF) as National Head of Delegation for over 10 years. In addition, he has extensive experience of wider aspects of European food regulation, including European controls on novel foods and processes, as well as general food safety controls and risk management approaches. Dr Evans also has first hand experience of developing and implementing scientific and regulatory affairs functions across a global business, and played a key role in developing the scientific and policy positions of relevant trade associations.

Dr Evans also has expertise in food microbiology and microbial safety in the food chain gained through his doctoral and post-doctoral work as well as more recently from working in the food ingredients sector.

Dr. Evans has particular expertise in crisis management in the food chain, having played a central role as incident manager in the Irish Government's management of the pork dioxin crisis in 2008, and played a leading role in the development of Europe-wide measures to address Sudan I contamination of food in 2005.

Dr. Evans is a past Chair of the Council of Europe's Committee of Experts on Flavouring Substances and a former member of the Irish Medicine Board's Advisory Committee on Veterinary Medicines. He was also a tutor on the European Commission's "Better Training for Safer Foods" training programmes on food additives and food contact materials legislation.