Biography

Dr. Willeke de Bruin has a PhD in Plant Pathology and has worked on food safety for many years in academia and industry before expanding her work to cover food system transformation. She has been the consultant researcher on several policy briefs and policy-related documents and has published widely in peer-reviewed scientific journals. She currently holds a position as Senior Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria.

Discipline/s

Food environment

Food Safety

Environmental safety

Human health

Research description

With this project, we aim to investigate the regulatory framework in South Africa used for disinfectants and hand sanitizers and to determine if products comply with safety specifications. This first stage project will enable further studies into the downstream impact and effect of mass released disinfectants and sanitizers on the environment, public health and safety, and the long-term impact on microbial diversity and stability, thus providing a more effective policy governance structure for these chemicals and support public awareness and training programs towards safe use of these chemicals.

Research gate