Laboratory Technician of the Year enjoys travel to USA to attend International Association of Food Protection Meeting in San Diego as part of prize
Among the delegates at this summer's International Association of Food Protection Meeting in San Diego was 20-year old Sera Roberts whose attendance at the conference was part of the prize she received for winning the 2001 Oxoid Technician of the Year Award.
Sera, who is laboratory quality systems controller for South Caernarfon Creameries (SCC), received the award in recognition of the systems she has established at SCC's laboratory, enabling it to gain third party accreditation.
Her prize as Technician of the Year consisted of a specially engraved trophy, œ1000 in cash plus a pass to attend the IAFP meeting.
She travelled to San Diego in July as a guest of Oxoid., which stages the annual Oxoid Awards in conjunction with International Food Hygiene magazine.
Sera attended a number of relevant presentations at the conference, including 'Issues in Cheese Safety', 'Dairy Waste Management Issues' and 'Listeria Research Update'.
"I enjoyed mixing with the many students and university lecturers who were at the conference, and was surprised to meet up with a tutor from the course I attend back home in Wales!", she says.
"I hope that some of the notes I took will be useful to me in my future work." While in California, Sera also took the opportunity to visit Hollywood, Universal Studios, Sea World and San Diego Zoo.
The Oxoid Awards scheme is designed to reward individuals, laboratories and companies whose activities are making a real difference to quality standards in the food industry, ensuring that their initiatives receive the recognition they deserve.
In addition to Technician of the Year, there are two other award categories: Oxoid Laboratory of the Year and the Oxoid Award for Innovation.
There is still time for laboratories and individuals to enter the 2002 Oxoid Awards, the closing date for submissions is 31 October 2002.
The winner of the next Technician of the Year Award will travel to New Orleans for the 2003 IAFP Meeting, as well as receiving a trophy and œ1000 in cash.
Full details and entry forms are available from Val Kane at Oxoid (links above).
