Belfast, [16/09/25] – Food Fortress Ltd, the organisation with a bespoke remit for testing and analysing over eight million tonnes of compound animal feed annually across the UK and Ireland, has announced two key leadership appointments.

Sean McGlynn, Managing Director of Co. Longford-based Kieran Milling, has been appointed Chairman of the Board. He succeeds Dr. Keith Agnew, who now assumes the role of Chief Executive.

Both leaders bring extensive experience from the animal feed compounding sector and share a commitment to advancing Food Fortress’s mission of ensuring feed and food safety through rigorous contaminant testing and analysis.

The new Chair of Food Fortress, Sean McGlynn, is welcomed to the recent Board meeting by out-going Chief Executive, Robin Irvine and new Chief Executive, Dr Keith Agnew.

The appointments were confirmed during a recent Board meeting, which included visits to the Institute of Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast and Precision Analysis. During the event, the new Chairman paid tribute to outgoing Chief Executive Robin Irvine, who played a pivotal role in shaping Food Fortress since its inception.

“Robin was a driving force in establishing Food Fortress as an organisation that has delivered true reassurance in identifying contaminants within compound animal feeds and raw materials,” said Sean McGlynn. “His leadership following the dioxin crisis of 2008 was instrumental in developing a world-leading testing service that continues to safeguard livestock and food production across the UK and Ireland. The feed sector owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude.”

The Chair of Food Fortress, Sean McGlynn presents Robin Irvine with a gift to mark his retirement.

Food Fortress coordinates the testing of compound animal feeds for four major contaminant classes: mycotoxins, dioxins and PCBs, heavy metals, and pesticides. Its membership includes feed compounders and raw material suppliers from Northern Ireland, Great Britain, and the Republic of Ireland, with full alignment across Northern Ireland’s feed industry.

Dr. Keith Agnew highlighted the organisation’s central role in safeguarding the food supply chain:

“We deliver an all-embracing testing and analysis service, officially recognised by DAERA in Northern Ireland and UFAS at UK level. Our work complements raw material suppliers’ own testing, providing a fully comprehensive early-warning system should these contaminants enter the feed production chain.”

Food Fortress’s testing programme involves the annual analysis of around 800 tests on compound feed samples, carried out at Queen’s Global Institute of Food Technology and supported by Belfast-based Precision Analysis. Findings, combined with supplier data, are shared with members on an anonymised basis to ensure sector-wide access to vital risk information.

Members of the Food Fortress Board recently visited Precision Analysis in Belfast. Those in attendance were (left to right) Sam Smyth (John Thompson & Sons), Niamh Ryan (Liffey Mills), Sean McGlynn (Kiernan Milling), Michael McAree (Precision Liquids), James Chestnutt (Chesnutt Animal Feeds), Keith Agnew (Food Fortress), Robert Campbell (Precision Analysis) and Robin Irvine (Food Fortress).

Dr. Agnew added:

“We are delivering a risk management system recognised worldwide as best in class. With 80% of livestock products from the island of Ireland destined for export, maintaining feed safety is vital to protecting the agri-food economy. As regulatory standards tighten, Food Fortress will continue to play a key role in helping manufacturers meet evolving requirements.”