Food Safety

Biography

Helga Naes has a Ph.D. in Cyanobacteria and water quality from the University of Oslo (1988). From 1988 to 1992, she had a research position at the Meat cooperation of Norway working on lactic acid bacteria, gene-technology and fermentation. From 1993 and up to now, she has had different positions at Matforsk, now called Nofima (Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research), as Senior Research Scientist and Research Director. She is now Head (Research Director) of the Food Safety and quality department at Nofima. In 2003-2004 she was offered a sabbatical leave to study leadership at Sloan Business School, MIT, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. In the same period these studies were combined by a position as Industrial Adviser at the Norwegian Trade Council. Her main interest is to help companies to produce safe food with optimal shelf-life and minimal waste. Controlling the microbiota and optimize packaging methods are important tools in that respect. She has led the project of establishing a new and unique production facility of biosafety level 3, The Pathogen pilot plant, where scientist can study life-threatening bacteria in a realistic production environment. This is in collaboration with the University of Life Sciences, Norway.

Research Interest

Produce safe food with optimal shelf-life and minimal waste, Controlling the microbiota and optimize packaging methods