Ruth Fairchild

Dr. Ruth Fairchild is a Professor in Oral and Public Health Nutrition at the Cardiff School of Sport & Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University. Her research focuses on public health nutrition, food safety, and consumer behavior, with a strong emphasis on improving dietary practices in schools and communities. She collaborates widely on projects analyzing school meal policies, food safety communication, and the oral health impacts of dietary choices.

Her research interests include:

• Designing tools to assess school menu healthiness
• Evaluating barriers in collecting school canteen data
• Analyzing cross-cultural food preferences and safety practices
• Investigating the erosive potential of modern food products (e.g., vapes, sour sweets)

Notable collaborations include studies with international partners (e.g., Italy, Brunei) and contributions to Welsh Government food policy. Her work bridges academic research with real-world applications in public health and education.

Key areas of impact include:

• Advocating for healthier school meal standards
• Improving food safety education strategies
• Highlighting risks of trendy products (e.g., energy drinks, vaping) on oral health