Sofia Boqvist, food safety and risk analysis

I want to contribute to a deeper understanding of how access to safe food for a growing population can be secured.

The scientific field of food safety aims at minimizing the risk of disease transmission during handling, preparation and storage of food. Risk assessment is a valuable tool in quantifying the microbial risks and spread of infection in the food chain.

In the western part of the world we are used to rules and guidelines on how food should be handled to minimize the risk of diseases transmitted between animals and humans. However, the situation is different in the majority of the world's countries where we not only are met by the question of food safety but also by the question of access to food in general.

I primarily work with food-borne bacteria from an epidemiological perspective, that is, with spread of infection and microbial risks in the food chain. I have collaborated with organisations, universities and governmental authorities in both Sweden and abroad, i.e. Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control, the Swedish Animal Health Services and universities in South East Asia and East Africa.