My role at the ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre
I graduated in 2018 with first class honours in Environmental Health from Cardiff Metropolitan University, receiving the Michael Morrison Memorial Award for best student performance as well as high commendation from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.
In October 2018, I started a Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship (KESS2) PhD studentship with Cardiff Metropolitan University’s ZERO2FIVE Food and Drink Research Unit. Working in partnership with a Welsh multi-site food manufacturing and processing business, the project was recognised with a high commendation Sustainability Award from KESS2 and The Sustainability Lab (Bangor University) for upholding the ambitions of the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 in September 2019.
My PhD research project is an in-depth assessment of food safety culture and hand hygiene compliance from multiple perspectives. This includes cognitive and behavioural evaluations, microbiological and hygiene assessments, analysis of organisational characteristics as well as a study of the influence of management style and structure on food handler behaviour at multiple food manufacturing and processing sites.
The findings will inform development (and implementation) of bespoke hand hygiene interventions to improve compliance meeting the identified business needs. Evaluations at the end of the study will indicate knowledge retention, intervention effectiveness as well as highlight associations between hand hygiene behaviour and food safety culture throughout the production streams.
The project is overseen by Dr Elizabeth C Redmond (Director of Studies) and Dr Ellen W Evans (Supervisor) with additional expertise provided by ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre Technical Director, Helen Taylor.