NZ food safety leader wins prestigious award

Professor Phil Bremer has won this year’s Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award at the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology’s Food Industry (NZIFST) Awards, which were held on 25 June 2025.

Sponsored by New Zealand Food Safety, the Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award is designed to recognise those who have made improvements or developments to food safety in New Zealand. Presenting the award to Bremer on the night was New Zealand Food Safety Deputy Director-General Vincent Arbuckle, who congratulated him on all his achievements.

“With more than 40 years of contributions to the food safety sector, Professor Bremer has made a significant contribution to food safety science, publishing more than 200 academic papers,” Arbuckle said.

“His work has helped build effective food safety culture, industry best practice, equipment and processing technology, product and packaging development, and science and research.”

In addition to his roles as Distinguished Professor of Food Science at the University of Otago and Chief Scientist of the New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre (NZFSSRC), Bremer is also an active member on several industry steering groups.

One of his many achievements is leading the development of a guide to prevent contamination of infant formula with Cronobacter, a lethal bacterium for infants under six months of age.

“New Zealand dairy companies now benefit from this resource, which helps to ensure the safety of infant formula for the youngest consumers, at home and abroad,” Arbuckle said.

“Professor Bremer has made an immense contribution to the quality and breadth of food safety science in New Zealand, and to the strength of the wider food safety sector, with a number of leadership roles in New Zealand food safety associations and societies across his 40-year career. He also passes on his knowledge undertaking significant postgraduate supervision.”

Previous winners of the Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award include Dr Pierre Venter (2024) and Dr Rob Lake (2023).

To find out details about all the winners at the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology’s Food Industry Awards, click here.

Image: Professor Phil Bremer receiving the award from Vincent Arbuckle at the NZIFST Awards. Image credit: New Zealand Food Safety.