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https://food.blog.gov.uk/2021/02/11/international-day-of-women-and-girls-in-science-a-personal-story/

International Day of Women and Girls in Science - A personal story

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Women in science at the Food Standards Agency

Cymraeg

To mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Amie Adkin, Head of Risk Assessment at the Food Standards Agency, shares her experiences of a storied career in food science and risk analysis. Amie has led the Risk Assessment Unit since 2018.

 

I am not sure when I realised that I was more interested in science than any other subjects at school. Nor am I sure when I fully committed to making it my career pathway within the UK Civil Service.

Yet these choices have provided me with the opportunity to learn about something new every day (as well as gainful employment!). It has also provided me with the opportunity to work with talented individuals, diverse teams, and be a part of the wider scientific community serving the public good.

I joined in the role of a government risk assessor as I was waiting for my PhD viva at Imperial College London, after studying plant biology and then biochemical engineering. My first risk assessment was on the Foot and Mouth Disease virus, where a large livestock outbreak caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism in 2001. It was a steep learning curve but an invaluable experience.

Risk assessment is one of the most important ways we can support evidence-based decisions to ensure we protect animal and public health. Our role is to make clear what facts are known and importantly, what is not known when we estimate risks associated in food and feed. We collaborate with other disciplines and professions, to ensure that the best available science is placed at the heart of decision making. This is particularly important during emergencies.

For the current COVID-19 pandemic, scientists at the FSA have been working hard to understand the risks posed by this new coronavirus. We were one of the first competent authorities to place the risk assessment for food and food packaging in the public domain to provide confidence to consumers and industry.

It’s almost 19 years since I started my career and I still count myself as a risk assessor. I picked up a family on the way, making use of special leave, part-time working and flexible hours, to raise two children and continue my career. I am now Head of Risk Assessment. Providing that function has never been more important as we make our way onto the international stage with independent regulatory policy.

The role of risk assessment after EU Transition

Risk assessment is part of the accepted basis for establishing international trading standards and for global trade negotiations involving dispute, where safety aspects are concerned. Whilst we were in the European Union, risk assessment for food and feed was supplied by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), but now the FSA and Food Standards Scotland will be providing some of those functions.

To prepare, we have expanded the role for our independent Scientific Advisory Committees and have a new process to advise government ministers on authorising regulated food and feed products for sale in England, Wales and Scotland. In response to these growing remits and expectations, the FSA Risk Assessment Unit has more than doubled in size since 2017.

Careers have no gender - UNESCO
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial UNESCO

So, on International Day of Women and Girls in Science, I want to say that if you or those around you are considering a career in science, you can make a real difference to protecting animal and public health.

Scientists are extremely employable at the moment, and it is a great time to start thinking about a career in science and taking those first steps. Good luck!


Gan fod heddiw (11 Chwefror 2021) yn Ddiwrnod Rhyngwladol Menywod a Merched mewn Gwyddoniaeth, mae Amie Adkin, ein Pennaeth Asesu Risg, yn rhannu ei phrofiadau o’i gyrfa liwgar mewn gwyddor bwyd a dadansoddi risg. Mae Amie wedi arwain yr Uned Asesu Risg yn yr Asiantaeth Safonau Bwyd (ASB) ers 2018.

Dydw i ddim siŵr pryd nes i sylweddoli fod gen i fwy o ddiddordeb mewn gwyddoniaeth nag unrhyw bynciau eraill yn yr ysgol. Dydw i ddim yn siŵr chwaith pryd nes i ymrwymo’n llwyr i ddilyn gyrfa ym maes gwyddoniaeth o fewn Gwasanaeth Sifil y Deyrnas Unedig (DU). Ac eto mae'r dewisiadau hyn wedi rhoi cyfle i mi ddysgu am rywbeth newydd bob dydd (yn ogystal â chyflogaeth fuddiol!). Mae hefyd wedi rhoi cyfle i mi weithio gydag unigolion talentog, timau amrywiol, a bod yn rhan o'r gymuned wyddonol ehangach sy'n gwasanaethu lles y cyhoedd.

Fe wnes i ymuno fel asesydd risg yn y llywodraeth wrth aros am fy viva PhD yng Ngholeg Imperial Llundain, ar ôl astudio bioleg planhigion ac yna peirianneg biocemegol. Roedd fy asesiad risg cyntaf ar gyfer feirws Clefyd y Traed a'r Genau , pan wnaeth achos da byw mawr beri argyfwng ym myd amaeth a thwristiaeth Prydain yn 2001. Roedd yn brofiad heriol ond amhrisiadwy.

Asesu risg yw un o'r ffyrdd pwysicaf y gallwn ni gefnogi penderfyniadau ar sail tystiolaeth i sicrhau ein bod yn diogelu iechyd anifeiliaid a'r cyhoedd. Ein rôl yw egluro pa ffeithiau sy'n hysbys ac yn bwysig, yr hyn nad yw'n hysbys pan fyddwn ni’n amcangyfrif y risgiau sy'n gysylltiedig â bwyd a bwyd anifeiliaid. Rydym ni’n cydweithredu â disgyblaethau a phroffesiynau eraill, er mwyn sicrhau bod y wyddoniaeth orau sydd ar gael yn cael ei rhoi wrth wraidd y penderfyniadau a wneir sy'n arbennig o bwysig yn ystod argyfyngau.

Ar gyfer y pandemig COVID-19 cyfredol, mae gwyddonwyr yn yr ASB wedi bod yn gweithio'n galed i ddeall y risgiau a berir gan y coronafeirws newydd hwn ac roeddem ni’n un o'r awdurdodau cymwys cyntaf i gyflwyno'r asesiad risg ar gyfer bwyd a deunydd pecynnu bwyd i’r cyhoedd i roi hyder i ddefnyddwyr a diwydiant y DU.

Mae bron i 19 mlynedd ers i mi gychwyn fy ngyrfa ac rydw i'n dal i ystyried fy hun yn asesydd risg. Rydw i hefyd yn fam, felly fe wnes i fanteisio ar absenoldeb arbennig, gweithio rhan-amser ac oriau hyblyg i fagu dau o blant a pharhau â fy ngyrfa. Rydw i bellach yn Bennaeth Asesu Risg ac mae darparu’r swyddogaeth honno yn fwy pwysig nag erioed wrth i ni wneud ein ffordd i'r llwyfan ryngwladol gyda pholisi rheoleiddio annibynnol.

Mae asesu risg yn rhan o'r sail a dderbynnir ar gyfer sefydlu safonau masnachu rhyngwladol ac ar gyfer trafodaethau masnach byd-eang sy'n cynnwys datrys anghydfodau, lle mae agweddau diogelwch yn y cwestiwn. Tra'r oeddem ni’n rhan o’r Undeb Ewropeaidd, roedd asesiadau risg ar gyfer bwyd a bwyd anifeiliaid yn cael eu darparu gan Awdurdod Diogelwch Bwyd Ewrop (EFSA), ond nawr yr ASB a Safonau Bwyd yr Alban fydd yn darparu rhai o'r swyddogaethau hynny. I baratoi, rydym ni wedi ehangu rôl ein Pwyllgorau Cynghori Gwyddonol annibynnol a chael proses newydd i gynghori gweinidogion y llywodraeth ar awdurdodi cynhyrchion bwyd a bwyd anifeiliaid wedi’u rheoleiddio i'w gwerthu yng Nghymru, yn Lloegr ac yn yr Alban. Mewn ymateb i'r gylchoedd gwaith a'r disgwyliadau cynyddol hyn, mae Uned Asesu Risg yr ASB wedi mwy na dyblu mewn maint ers 2017.

Felly, ar Ddiwrnod Rhyngwladol Menywod a Merched mewn Gwyddoniaeth, os ydych chi'n ystyried gyrfa mewn gwyddoniaeth, fe allwch chi wneud gwahaniaeth go iawn i ddiogelu iechyd anifeiliaid a'r cyhoedd. Mae llawer o gyfleoedd gwaith i wyddonwyr ar hyn o bryd, ac mae'n amser gwych i ddechrau meddwl am yrfa mewn gwyddoniaeth a chymryd y camau cyntaf hynny yn eich gyrfa. Pob lwc!

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