Dr John Ashton CChem, FRACI, FAIFST is Strategic Research Manager for the Sanitarium Health Food Company and currently serves as an adjunct professor in the School of Science RMIT University, as well as serving on the Industry Advisory Committees for the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Sydney and the University of NSW School of Engineering. He holds a BSc(Hons) with prize in Chemistry and a PhD in Epistemology also with prize from the University of Newcastle, and a MSc in Chemistry from the University of Tasmania. Dr Ashton has authored 15 books, 6 book chapters and 93 peer reviewed papers. Prior to joining Sanitarium as Chief Chemist in 1988, from 1974-1987 he held various teaching and administrative positions in Technical and Further Education in Tasmania, including a five year term as State Coordinator of TAFE Chemistry and Medical Laboratory Technology courses. He was a Research Fellow in the Chemistry Department of the University of Tasmania from 1970 -1973 and spent his undergraduate years 1964 to 1969 as a cadet scientist at the BHP Central Research laboratories.