Julie Crenn holds an MSc (with distinction) in Food Safety and Quality Management from the University of Greenwich. During her study she received a HACCP Level 3 certificate and has since become a registered trainer for HACCP by the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH). She has worked in the food industry as a New Product Development Manager for 10 years mainly working in SMEs.

Julie joined NRI in 2016 as a Food Safety Specialist. In the same year, she completed a PGCert in Higher Education from the University of Greenwich and became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is a module leader of the Food Product and Process Development and Food Preservation modules and lectures on several modules on the MSc Applied Food Safety and Quality Management, the IFST-accredited MSc Food Innovation, and MSc Food Safety and Quality Management (e-learning). Since 2020, Julie is programme Leader of the MSc Food Safety and Quality Management (e-learning).

Julie has been involved in several consultancy projects overseas. In 2016, she developed and delivered a training programme for the NICHE project. The training supported the Faculty team in designing and developing new short courses, including a ‘taster day’, using practical and interactive learning methods and materials. In 2018, together with NRI colleagues. In 2018, together with NRI colleagues, she has worked for/with the World Food Programme (WFP) on the development of training programmes, capacity development material, and delivery of HACCP level 2 to a wide range of staff and practitioners from WFP from across Africa and from their headquarters. She provided training both in French and English in a range of locations across Africa.

Julie is currently studying for a part-time PhD on biofortified cassava supervised by Professor Andrew Westby and Dr Richard Fuchs. The research is looking at whether high-quality cassava flour (HQCF) made using traditional west African processing methods could be transformed into a product similar to sour starch, a Brazilian dual modified starch with expanding properties when baked. The finished product could be used to create similar indirectly extruded products and create opportunities for the development of novel biofortified snack products tailored to the African market.

Her other interests are in consumer science, food choice, EU Food law. She is bilingual French–English.