PEOPLE BEHIND
SAFER FOOD:
Jasmine Lacis-Lee

Queenslander and Australian born Latvian!

I have been a food microbiologist for longer than I can remember and prior to joining BVAQ spent 16 years in various laboratory and quality roles working for some of Australia’s largest food & beverage manufacturers.

I am married and have 2 boys who keep me busy on the weekends – yes, I am a soccer mum! I love to travel, eat great food, feed guests at my home and simply enjoy spending time with friends and family. My happy place is the snow, a passion shared by everyone in my family and we are forever planning the next ski trip.

I joined the team at BVAQ in 2015 to continue providing food safety guidance to our clients. Our team are invested in making a difference, to our clients, but also to the industry, and this is what makes us unique.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Can you describe what specific role you do at BVAQ and what were your key responsibilities?

As a Food Safety Manager specialising in Microbiology & Allergens at BVAQ, my primary responsibility is to provide technical assistance to our clients in the area of risk mitigation and risk management. I assist clients understand which analysis is required when, and how the results apply to their manufacturing processes. In addition, I support our clients in the design of new facilities, review manufacturing processes, evaluate risk and provide strategies to reduce, mitigate and manage their food safety risks.


What’s your greatest accomplishments or achievements that make you particularly proud as a Food Safety Manager?

That’s hard to say! I have had the privilege of working with some wonderful Australian manufacturers, design and build new facilities, or develop new products, with food safety & allergen management as the key focus in their design and development. To see our clients’ new products commercialised and to know that BVAQ was able to assist them along the way is an honour. But generally, each day, based on my industry skills, I assist make our clients’ jobs easier, and ultimately ensure that we as consumers can trust our food is safe.


In your opinion, what are the key challenges that food safety industry face in today? How do you overcome these challenges?

Unfortunately, the list of challenges continues to grow. The continued uncertainty of the supply chain and the impact of climate change are both likely to introduce new or unexpected risks. The use of artificial intelligence in the industry, novel foods, and food security are also challenges the food sector will need to consider. A significant challenge lies in addressing how legislation, regulation and analysis will be able to keep ahead, or at least stay in step with industry developments. Overcoming some of these challenges may not be easy, so my suggestions are 1) don’t think that it can’t happen to you 2) maintain an edge by ensuring that you have robust risk assessment processes in place, surveying the landscape and; 3) perhaps an aspect often overlooked, establish strong networks both locally and internationally to be able to “phone a friend” and draw upon the experience of others when required.


As a Food Safety Manager, what aspects of BVAQ's culture and values make you feel a sense of pride in being a part of the organisation's commitment to the highest standard of food quality and safety?

BVAQ takes pride in forming partnerships with our clients, effectively becoming an integral part of their business. The success of these partnerships relies on the integrity of our results and the services we provide. In my role, customer focus is key, ensuring that our clients feel that they can rely on our assistance in solving the problems they might face. At BVAQ, we strongly believe that every consumer has the right to know that the food they consume is safe, and this truly forms the foundation of my role as a Food Safety Manager.