[Lexington, KENTUCKY] – Alltech, a global leader in animal health and nutrition, has awarded Commissioner David Byrne the prestigious 2009 Medal of Excellence for his commitment to food safety including his revolutionary reform of the European Union’s safety systems during his tenure as European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection.
Left to Right: Karl Dawson, Alltech; David Byrne, Alltech's Bioscience Medal of Excellence 2009 recipient; Pearse Lyons, President, Alltech
Alltech Photo by Tim Webb
The award was presented during Alltech’s 25th International Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium in Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
“Commissioner Byrne pioneered the structures of traceability, rapid response and recall within the European Union. These structures are gaining acceptance worldwide and are recognized as the global blueprint for feed and food safety systems. He revolutionized feed and food safety and restored consumer confidence in the industry,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech.
“Receiving the Alltech Medal of Excellence is a great privilege and I am honored to be the first non-scientist presented with this prestigious award,” said Byrne.
Byrne was appointed as Ireland’s European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection in September 1999, a position he held until 2004.
As European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Byrne oversaw the implementation of highly significant laws and regulations governing food and feed safety which are now widely perceived as setting the global standard for excellence.
Among his many other achievements in office, Byrne also established the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC), and introduced new legislation to combat foot-and-mouth disease. He also led the adoption of the first European Food Law and framework on GMOs and was instrumental in implementing a comprehensive risk analysis and risk management strategy.
Prior to his role as European Commissioner, Byrne served as Attorney General of Ireland from 1997 to 1999. Called to the bar in 1970, Byrne became Senior Counsel in 1985 and practiced in both the Irish Courts and the European Court of Justice. He is a graduate of University College Dublin, Ireland with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics, Ethics and Politics, and studied law at King’s Inns Dublin, Ireland.
Byrne currently holds the position of Chancellor of Dublin City University and serves as non-executive director of Alltech. As part of his role with Alltech, Byrne is a member of the Reputation Overview Committee (ROC) where he works to ensure that the company has effective and efficient risk management structures in place.
For the past 19 years, Alltech has presented the Medal of Excellence to an industry leader for his or her exceptional research into natural and advanced solutions in animal health. Past winners include: Dr. Ronan Power, Alltech; Professor Peter Ferket, North Carolina State University, U.S.A; and Professor Mingan Choct, University of New England, Australia.
Alltech is the proud sponsor of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010™ to be held in Kentucky, USA from September 25 to October 10, 2010 and the Alltech European Championships to be held in Windsor, United Kingdom from August 25 - 30, 2009.