Recognised as the go-to event for the entire food contact value chain, Smithers' Food Contact Asia conference will return on 7 June 2024 in Singapore with online access 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.
Chris Peloso joined Amcor Research and Development over 20 years ago after graduating with an Honours Degree in Environmental Management. His Honours year project was focused on polymer degradation, specifically the antagonism of anti-block and slip additives.
Upon joining Amcor, he moved into the analytical laboratory where he specialised in:
- Materials analysis
- Shelf life testing
- Food contact compliance testing of flexible, rigid, paper and metal packaging materials
- Odour and taint assessment
He has held the roles of Amcor Packaging Science Laboratory Manager and Amcor Australia New Zealand Product Safety Manager. In 2018, he was appointed Product Safety Director for Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific.
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.
EDUCATION
• Doctor Degree in Chemistry (macromolecular science), University of Pisa, Italy
• Master Degree in Law, Michigan State University, USA
EXPERIENCE
• Current: Owner and Managing Director of the company Dario Dainelli-Policy & Regulatory Affairs, established in Brussels in 2018
• 2017-2018: Director of Quality & Regulatory Affairs in SITGROUP, Republic of San Marino
• 1999-2017: various management positions in Sealed Air Corporation, including Global Regulatory, and Regulatory Affairs Director for Asia and EMEA
• 1991-1999: W.R. Grace, Laboratory and EU Regulatory manager
Chris Peloso joined Amcor Research and Development over 20 years ago after graduating with an Honours Degree in Environmental Management. His Honours year project was focused on polymer degradation, specifically the antagonism of anti-block and slip additives.
Upon joining Amcor, he moved into the analytical laboratory where he specialised in:
- Materials analysis
- Shelf life testing
- Food contact compliance testing of flexible, rigid, paper and metal packaging materials
- Odour and taint assessment
He has held the roles of Amcor Packaging Science Laboratory Manager and Amcor Australia New Zealand Product Safety Manager. In 2018, he was appointed Product Safety Director for Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific.
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.
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).
Education: MBA in Sustainability & Leadership/BSc in Biology & Chemistry
Working experiences:
25years in Chemical Industry in the areas of Product Safety & Regulatory Affairs, and Safety Health, Environment & Quality Management, Manufacturing and Engineering.
1. Chemist and European Registered Toxicologist (ERT)
2. 15 years with Henkel (last position: Global Head of Regulatory Affairs)
3. 7 years with Siegwerk
4. Globally responsible for Food Safety, Toxicology and Packaging Regulations
5. > 20 years involved in association affairs, e.g. CEFIC, ECETOC, AISE, CEPE, EuPIA
6. Chairman of the EuPIA NIAS Risk Management Task Force
