Wolfgang Ahlers, a key member of fresh produce company Univeg's food safety and compliance team, has died after a long illness.
According to a statement released by Univeg Germany, Mr Ahlers passed away in his hometown of Stuhr, Germany on 26 January 2011.
'The Univeg Group mourns a highly respected character who worked not only with an exceptionally broad knowledge and high technical competence but also with passion and personal commitment,' a spokesperson commented.
Mr Ahlers began working for Univeg in 1986 and was widely respected among his peers as an expert on the EU banana regime.
In the past 10 years, he expanded into new areas including food law and food safety, providing Univeg with 'significant help' in positioning the group as a market leader in those areas.
He was also responsible for developing a number of online applications designed to aid the sharing of food regulatory information, systems like the well-known 'Identification Assistant' which have now become standard within the industry.
'His death leaves a hole in both our company and the industry that will be difficult to fill,' the Univeg Germany spokesperson added.
'We will miss his commitment, his energy and his fair dealings with people. We hve lost an extremely reliable and competent adviser.'
