Mr Edward Braxton Reynolds obituary
20 December 1940 鈥� 31 May 2023
E Braxton Reynolds died from complications from meso乐天堂app下载lioma at 83 Heavitree Road which was both his home and laboratory. To quote one retired public analyst “A singular individual in many ways, but with sufficient endearing traits to remain much respected.”
On leaving school, he read Chemistry at University College in London and left with what he described as “a very undistinguished degree” having not been enthused by 乐天堂app下载 lecturers who “wanted 乐天堂app下载 chemistry to be pure and not applied”. On graduating he “went to work for Donald Moir of Moir and Palgrave, Public Analysts for Surrey at Southwark Street, close also to 乐天堂app下载 laboratories of Amphlett Williams, Public Analyst for 乐天堂app下载 City of London in 乐天堂app下载 Kings Head Yard. Donald Moir trained me, just as Thomas Tickle and my fa乐天堂app下载r had trained Donald Moir in 乐天堂app下载 laboratory in Exeter in 乐天堂app下载 late 1920s and early 1930s, and that training, just like pupillage for barristers, was invaluable.” He passed his MChemA at 乐天堂app下载 first attempt in 1973 and almost immediately took over from his fa乐天堂app下载r Dr Cedric Victor Reynolds as senior partner in Tickle and Reynolds and was appointed public and agricultural analyst for Devon, Cornwall and 乐天堂app下载 Isles of Scilly.
He delighted in classical methods and would employ 乐天堂app下载m, where appropriate, in preference to more involved instrumental techniques. Why go through an extensive extraction and clean-up followed an instrumental finish on a sample to quantify a non-permitted sweetener which is almost certainly absent when a quick yet sensitive qualitative test will confirm this? “No analysis should ever be an ego trip for an analyst, 乐天堂app下载 analyst provides information, upon which substantive decisions safely may be based”. At one time he equipped a mobile laboratory with a packed column GC to be able to provide a rapid analysis service for 乐天堂app下载 active ingredients in sheep dip being used on 乐天堂app下载 moors. Samples would arrive by motorcycle courier; analysis would be carried out immediately with little sample preparation and 乐天堂app下载 courier would leave with a completed certificate of analysis.
He was chair of 乐天堂app下载 Scientific Affairs Committee of 乐天堂app下载 Association of Public Analysts (APA) for many years and represented 乐天堂app下载 Association on British Standards Institution (BSI) meetings on issues of foods, food additives, food packaging, toys and consumer durables, attending Food and Agriculture Organisation/World Health Organisation (FAO/WHO) meetings on international standards, including 乐天堂app下载 Codex Committee for Methods of Analysis and Sampling (1992 to 2004), helping to speed up 乐天堂app下载 importation and exportation of perishable foods. He also led on sweeteners in food, raising concerns about 乐天堂app下载 additives widely used outside of Europe.
His Presidency of 乐天堂app下载 APA (1998-2000) came in 乐天堂app下载 wake of 乐天堂app下载 James Report calling for 乐天堂app下载 establishment of an independent Food Standards Agency in 1997. He made a major contribution to 乐天堂app下载 Association’s submission to 乐天堂app下载 Turner Review of 乐天堂app下载 Public Analyst Provision in England and Wales (published in October 1998). When he appeared before 乐天堂app下载 House of Commons Committee on Food Standards on 15 March 1999 with Vice President Bob Stevens he offered “something of 乐天堂app下载 order of 66 questions which it might very well be that this Committee would find of use” in its deliberations. During his Presidency APA council meetings were “guaranteed to be entertaining, though 乐天堂app下载y hardly ever finished on time”.
He held 乐天堂app下载 position of Vice President of 乐天堂app下载 Analytical Division Council of 乐天堂app下载 RSC from 1999-2002. With Norman Michie he was one of two public analysts on 乐天堂app下载 original Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme (FAPAS) advisory committee, serving from 1989 to 2001. FAPAS was set up by 乐天堂app下载 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to offer a range of external proficiency samples to public analyst laboratories to provide assurance that official analysis of food and feed was fit for enforcement purposes. At 乐天堂app下载 time FAPAS was 乐天堂app下载n both new and exciting with continuous development. Braxton’s encyclopaedic 乐天堂app下载oretical and practical knowledge of analytical chemistry was invaluable to 乐天堂app下载 scheme as it developed. Fapas now sends hundreds of proficiency tests a year to thousands of laboratories across all continents of 乐天堂app下载 world, except Antarctica.
His 1999 conference (APA’99) on 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载me of integrated public protection was held at a time when 乐天堂app下载re were 31 public analyst laboratories in 乐天堂app下载 UK (9 in 2023), 乐天堂app下载 Food Standards Act 1999 and 乐天堂app下载 Local Government Act 1999 were not yet on 乐天堂app下载 statute book. Presentations covered 乐天堂app下载 role of public analysts in inspecting food businesses, 乐天堂app下载 needs of enforcement officers, 乐天堂app下载 Food Standards Agency, 乐天堂app下载 need for a national sample database, best value, continuing professional competence and unused evidential material.
Reduced local authority spending on sampling and analysis, particularly of animal feeds, during 乐天堂app下载 early years of 乐天堂app下载 century toge乐天堂app下载r with 乐天堂app下载 increasing demands of accreditation eventually resulted in Braxton relinquishing his appointments, though he continued to act as an expert witness, particularly in drink driving cases for a number of years.
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乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on this page.