Mr Raphael Samson is the Founder and Lead Food Safety and Quality Consultant at Fresh Group, bringing over a decade of multidisciplinary experience in food science and technology. He passionately leads initiatives to strengthen food safety and quality management systems across the global food industry and supply chain.

Mr Samson holds a Master of Science and Technology in Food Development from the University of Turku, Finland, and a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Technology from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

In his professional career, Mr Samson has made impactful contributions to the food industry across food manufacturing, retail, catering, consulting, and innovative research and development. As the Founder and Lead Food Safety and Quality Consultant at Fresh Group in Finland, he leads a consulting portfolio delivering regulatory compliance, food safety audits, training and certifications, and risk-reduction strategies to food and beverage companies across the EU and USA, helping clients reduce recall risks, improve compliance ratings, and strengthen food safety management systems through targeted audits, root-cause investigations, and FSMA- and HACCP-aligned programs. He has also conducted cGMP/GMP audits, developed food safety plans, designed traceability and recall systems, and trained food safety professionals to meet international regulatory standards while maintaining strong partnerships with regulatory authorities and industry networks. Previously, as a Project Researcher at the University of Turku’s Food Science Unit, he contributed to the EU Interreg GRASS project on sustainable macroalgae utilization, leading collaborative research with international partners, developing innovative extraction methodologies for bioactive compounds, and contributing to scientific publications and policy discussions supporting sustainable food and feed systems. Earlier in his career, as a Food Safety Expert at Nestlé Finland, he led technical food safety audits and hazard analyses that significantly reduced customer complaints and generated cost savings, while as a Project Lead, he directed key food quality management and research initiatives. He also gained practical industry experience as a Brewing Trainee at Heineken Breweries Plc.

Mr Samson’s interdisciplinary expertise spans food processing, food safety and quality systems, food chemistry, microbiology, nutrition, and food engineering. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute (PMI), a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI), and a certified Lead Instructor for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and a member of the American Society of Quality (ASQ).

Through the integration of scientific knowledge, regulatory understanding, research and development, and engineering principles, Mr Samson stands out as a dynamic leader in advancing effective food safety and quality systems throughout the industry and supply chain.