His primary research interest are in food regulation, regulation more generally, and law and technology. He is currently working with colleagues in computer science and politics to produce a virtual reality game intended to improve food hygiene and safety compliance, with colleagues in bioscience to improve understanding of ethical dilemmas posed by food research through a card game and with colleagues in computer science and engineering to understand how new technologies could alter foods and food production
Before joining the University of Nottingham, Richard was a Solicitor specialising in risk and regulation and obtained his PhD on the regulatory control of food-borne illness at the University of Nottingham. Richard makes frequent media appearances discussing topics in food law and consumer law.