Food Regulatory SIG Chair Mel Bulger interviewed Lewis Wallis about his career in Food Regulatory Affairs. 
1. Which area was your degree/ early career in?
I carried out an integrated Master’s degree in Natural Sciences at University of Leeds, specialising in Food Science, Nutrition and Biochemistry. As part of this, I carried out a 1-year industry placement at Danone in the Regulatory Affairs team. My Master’s research project applied learnings from my placement year to evaluate the prevalence of promoted products categorised as High in Fat Sugar and/or Salt (HFSS) in online supermarket websites. This further expanded my knowledge and interest in Digital Food Environments (e.g. online food retail, meal delivery apps, social media platforms).
2. What is your role today?
I am currently a full-time Regulatory Affairs Advisor at a research consultancy called Campden BRI and we offer advice and training to the food industry. I advise clients on a whole range of legislation from general areas (e.g. labelling, claims) to more specialist topics (e.g. allergens, contaminants, food contact materials, nutrition, sustainability).
My research experience expanded my knowledge and interest in Digital Food Environments (e.g. online food retail, meal delivery apps, social media platforms), which led to me securing a part-time PhD scholarship at University of Leeds researching digital features, regulatory frameworks, and products promoted and sold.
3. Can you share a bit about your journey into the field of regulatory affairs? What sparked your interest, and motivated you to pursue a career in this field?
As a university student with an interest in Food Science & Nutrition, I struggled to understand what the ideal role for me would be for me. I always had an interest in nutrition policy, although had no visibility on the potential career paths in this area, as often industry placements were for food scientists, food technologists (safety/quality) or new product development specialists. I had applied for numerous placements and had interview offers, but none of the roles seemed fully aligned with my interests. It wasn’t until I came across an opportunity at Danone in the Regulatory Affairs team that something clicked, and it felt like I had found the perfect role.
4. How did your educational background contribute to advancing your role in food regulatory affairs?
The placement year I had at Danone confirmed that Regulatory Affairs was the right career path for me. It encouraged me to carry out a policy-related research project and give lectures to students on regulations in my final year. The team were a fantastic source of inspiration and helped provide me with the relevant experience that would help me secure a future regulatory role – I would not be where I am now without that amazing support!
My research into HFSS legislation put me at an advantage considering the huge impact that it was having on the food industry. It also gave me the experience of reading and interpreting legislation and the impact it would have on online settings.
5. Could you describe a particularly exciting or challenging projects in food regulatory affairs? what was your specific role?
I have had the chance to work on projects covering all types of food legislation, from bioplastics to allergens to nutrition policy and for various product categories, from yogurts to baby food to functional beverages. Three of the most exciting/challenging projects include:
Volvic ToF redesign (Danone)
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Reviewed regulatory compliance for the Volvic Touch of Fruit redesign, which involved checking hundreds of artworks and answering regulatory queries from the brand team
Literature Review for the Food Standards Agency (Campden BRI)
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Co-authored an international review of literature and guidance on the topic of cleaning to remove food allergens. It was a huge piece of work that took months of dedicated effort to essentially learn the topic and review every category of literature (e.g. scientific publications, grey literature, trade press). This resulted in a 200+ page document that provided information to the FSA to inform policy/guidance development
HFSS Legislation project (University of Leeds)
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Developed a research project to investigate the prevalence of HFSS products in scope of marketing restrictions, and evaluate the display of front-of-pack nutrition labelling (e.g. UK multiple traffic light scheme). It involved building excel formulas from scratch to calculate Nutrient Profiling Model scores and collecting data for over 600 products, which was challenging but highly rewarding as it led to a published paper and continued research on nutrition policy to build upon the work
6. Drawing from your own experience or projects you have had, what do you find most rewarding aspects of working in the regulatory area of food?
Supporting the development of products and their marketing involves not only ensuring they meet regulatory requirements but also facilitating effective promotional strategies. This requires extensive research into food legislation, understanding the nuances in its interpretation, and engaging in detailed discussions that the average consumer would have no idea were so important to ensuring compliance. My exposure to a wide variety of products highlights the incredible innovation in the food industry, showcasing creative advancements that expand your perspective on food technology and market trends.
7. In your opinion, what makes the field of food regulatory affairs both exciting and challenging?
The constantly evolving regulatory landscape! There is so much going on regarding food legislation, as emphasised by our bi-monthly Campden BRI Food Law Alert which captures UK/EU changes and is often over 50 pages long! Keeping on top of changes in legislation can be difficult, particularly post EU-exit where divergence is taking place, but does give you a good understanding of the trends in the food industry
8. What skills do you believe are essential for success in food regulatory affairs?
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Curiosity – an interest in legislation and the reasoning behind its implementation
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Research/Reading/Writing – projects/enquiries involve researching and reading around a specific area of legislation and summarising how it applies to the given context
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Resilience – regulatory frameworks are continuously evolving and it is important to keep on top of all developments, which requires a level of resilience
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Communication – you are often required to communicate complex areas of legislation simply for clients/stakeholders and justify your reasoning
9. What advice would you give to those wanting to enter regulatory affairs, especially in terms of skill development and staying updated on industry trends?
LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn – if you connect with the right people, it opens your newsfeed to everything going off in the world of Regulatory Affairs. It can also lead to job opportunities - I secured my current role after reaching out to Campden BRI, so it’s always worth reaching out to people and explaining your interests. A lot of regulatory expertise is learnt ‘on the job’, but it definitely helps to have an understanding of how legislation works. There are so many resources online that can give you a head start in understanding the regulatory landscape (e.g. government/trade association/scientific body websites). But don’t worry if you feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of legislation regulating foods, all Regulatory Affairs professionals have been in a similar position, and it’s not about knowing all of the regulatory requirements but knowing how to find them!
I appreciate it can be difficult to find Regulatory Affairs placements as these are often few and far between. I think there is preconception that students do not have the expertise to enter the field, but my time at Danone proved that this is not the case, and that anyone interested in regulatory should be given the opportunity to enter this career pathway. Most regulatory professionals I have met transitioned into the role from a different one (e.g. nutritionist, dietician, sensory, food safety/quality, food specifications), so it is always an option for those who are interested, and it means that everyone in the regulatory world have diverse backgrounds and unique skillsets.
10. In your experience, what are some of the emerging trends or areas of innovation in Regulatory Affairs, and how do they make this field dynamic and interesting?
There are so many emerging areas of legislation that are interesting and there is definitely something for everyone. The big trends from my perspective are legislation/policy on nutrition, sustainability, digital settings, allergens and novel ingredients (e.g. precision-bred organisms)