RISK services group Acoura has hired three UK food and drink industry heavy-hitters as strategic advisers.

David Gregory, Lisa Ackerley and Ton Christiaanse have been joined the board of the food sector compliance business, which operates in 28 countries across six continents.

Mr Gregory joins as he prepares to step down as chair of the Red Tractor food assurance scheme after six years.

A member of the industrial advisory board of the Roslin Institute, and a fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology, he spent 26 years at Marks & Spencer, from where he retired as technical director in 2009.

Ms Ackerley, a chartered environmental health practitioner is widely known as The Hygiene Doctor, and regularly appears on TV and radio offering expert opinion on consumer health matters.

Mr Christiaanse has at board level with global food and drink companies such as Vion, Sara Lee, Chiquita and Unilever over the last 25 years.