Widely specialized in Food Safety, John Donaghy is a leading Microbiologist with an extensive professional experience of more than 20 years. His comprehensive knowledge on subjects such as foodborne pathogens, risk assessment and molecular diagnostics has led him to be part of international reference institutions such as Nestlé or the Department of Agriculture Scientific Services of Northern Ireland. 

Among his main tasks, he has been in charge of operational aspects related to food safety microbiology, including hazard analysis and critical control points. He has also developed multiple prerequisite programs, as well as bacteriological specifications to ensure hygienic environments at the same time as safe for optimal food production. 

His strong commitment to providing first class services has led him to combine his management work with scientific research. In this sense, he has an extensive academic production, consisting of more than 50 comprehensive articles on topics such as the impact of Big Data in the dynamic management of food safety risk, microbiological aspects of dairy ingredients, detection of ferulic acid esterase by Bacillus subtilis, extraction of pectin from citrus peels by polygalaturonase produced in serum or the production of proteolytic enzymes by Lysobacter gummosus. 

On the other hand, he is a regular speaker at conferences and forums worldwide, where he discusses the most innovative molecular analysis methodologies to detect pathogens and the techniques for implementing systems of excellence in the manufacture of foodstuffs. In this way, he helps professionals stay at the forefront of these fields while driving significant advances in the understanding of Quality Control. In addition, it sponsors internal research and development projects to improve the microbiological safety of foods. 

• Global Head of Food Safety, Nestlé, Lausanne, Switzerland
• Project Leader in Food Safety Microbiology, Institute of Agri-Food and Biological Sciences, Northern Ireland  
• Senior Scientific Advisor at the Department of Agriculture Scientific Services, Northern Ireland 
• Consultant on various initiatives funded by the Food Safety Authority of the Government of Ireland and the European Union
• Doctorate in Science, Biochemistry, University of Ulster 
• Member of the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods