AIFST Pre-mentoring information webinar for Mentees

Interested in joining the 2021 mentoring program? Join us for a brief information session about the program and what we expect from our mentees before you apply. 

We will also answer any questions you may have on the program.

Technical Webinar: Microbes, the third pillar in the alternative protein industry

Date: Tuesday March 9, 2021

Time: 1pm AEDT

CPD Points: 1

Presenter: Belinda Chapman, Director, Quantal Bioscience

Dr Belinda Chapman is co-founder and Director of Quantal Bioscience, a private company based in Sydney and specialising in microbiology research, including fermentation and microbiomics, as well as in science engagement and education. In collaboration with others, Quantal Bioscience has recently worked to establish a commercial co-manufacturing fermentation facility in Sydney. During her 25 year career Belinda has worked in microbiology research roles across industry and academia, including for The Sanitarium Health Food Company, Burns Philp, Arnotts, Macquarie University, the CSIRO, The Sydney Catchment Authority, Vitramed and The Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research, as well as for KPMG and the University of Tasmania. 

International Women’s Day 2021 – Choose to Challenge

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

Marked annually on March 8th, International Women's Day (IWD) is one of the most important days of the year to:

• celebrate women's achievements
• raise awareness about women's equality
• lobby for accelerated gender parity

This year the theme is “choose to challenge”

A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day.

We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.

From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge.

We are holding a panel session with a lineup of great women to share their “choose to challenge” moment.

Join us to hear their stories – to grow, learn and connect.

Speakers:

Angeline Achariya - Executive Director Innovation & Growth, Simplot Australia

Jo Davey - Director at Pirrama Consulting

Sandra Loader - Non-Executive Director at AIFST at The Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology - AIFST

Maria Said - CEO Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia

Kate Howell - Research and teaching academic at University of Melbourne

View full speaker bios and photos HERE

Plain English Allergen Labelling – Webinar #1

On February 25^th Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) announced new requirements for allergen labelling on packaged foods. 

The changes to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) will help ensure mandatory food allergen declarations are clear and consistent so that consumers have the information they need to make safe food choices. 

The requirements include:

• the declaration of allergen information in a specific format and location on food labels
• the use of simple, plain English terms for allergen declarations.   

Join AIFST, the Allergen Bureau and the AFGC for the first of a 2-part webinar series on PEAL.

This first webinar will cover the changes with presentations from FSANZ and Provenance Legal.

Join us to grow, learn and connect.

Presenters:

Derek Castles, Labelling and Information Standards, FSANZ 

Derek Castles is a member of the Labelling and Information Standards Section at Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and has worked for the agency for 19 years. Derek has been actively working on allergen labelling regulations at FSANZ for the last six years. Derek is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and has also worked on nutrition-related regulations prior his allergen labelling activities.

Julie Cox, Provenance Legal

Julie Cox is the founder and director of Provenance, a specialist legal consultancy for the food and beverage industry.  She has nearly 20 years’ experience advising a range of food businesses from multinationals to start ups on all aspects of advertising, labelling, product safety, IP and commercial matters across the product lifecycle.

Webinar - Food and Mood - Use of nutraceuticals and adherence to dietary patterns in the management of mental health

Date: Thursday March 25th 

Time: 1:00pm - 2pm (AEDT)

CPD Points: 1

OVERVIEW: 

This presentation will include the findings from current studies relating to some of the nutraceuticals and bioactives as well as adherence to different dietary patterns that are used in the management of mental health. Some of the common nutraceutical approaches include green tea components (e.g. theanine and EGCG), curcuminoids and main anthocyanins found in blueberries. In addition, this presentation will also focus on the adherence to different dietary interventions (e.g. Mediterranean diet), their successes and pitfalls related to the improvements in the cognition and gut-brain axis.

About Dr Nenad Naumovski (PhD, MAIFST)

Dr Nenad Naumovski (PhD) is a Chef, Food Scientist and Molecular Nutritionist and works at the University of Canberra (Canberra, Australia) as Associate Professor in Food Science and Human Nutrition. He leads a Functional Foods and Nutrition Research Laboratory (FFNR Laboratory) and holds academic conjoint positions as the Visiting Professor at the Harokopio University of Athens (Athens, Greece), Abertay University (Scotland) and University of Newcastle (Australia). Nenad has a strong research interest in the effects of food and nutrients on psycho-cardiological markers associated with healthy ageing.

Plain English Allergen Labelling – Webinar Part 2

Join AIFST, the Allergen Bureau and the AFGC for the second part of our webinar series on PEAL.

Our industry best practice guidance resources are designed to help food industry to approach allergen management and labelling in a consistent manner. In these three talks, we will take you through our new updates to these resources that address Plain English Allergen Labelling.

• Food Industry Guide to Allergen Management and Labelling – Lisa Warren, Allergen Bureau
• The VITAL Program & VITAL Online – Georgina Christensen, Allergen Bureau
• Product Information Form - Fiona Fleming, AFGC

Presenters:

Lisa Warren, Allergen Bureau

With a background in Food Science and Technology, and with a 20 year career in the food industry, working alongside a great number of inspirational people, Lisa’s passion is to help food manufacturers navigate through the challenges of allergen management. In her VITAL Support role at the Allergen Bureau, Lisa is involved in a variety of projects that address the food industry’s growing demand for information about allergen management and the VITAL Program.

Georgina Christensen, VITAL^® CoordinatorAllergen Bureau

Georgina Christensen is the VITAL^® Coordinator for the Allergen Bureau and has been in this part-time role for over twelve years. Georgina answers enquiries from the local and international food industry about implementing the VITAL Program, provides support for and develops VITAL^® Online and develops support materials for the VITAL Program.  Georgina has extensive experience in the food industry in positions with multi-national food companies. Georgina is passionate about allergen management and encouraging clear and consistent allergen labelling on food products to assist those with a food allergy to make informed food choices

Fiona Fleming, PIF Manager, AFGC

Fiona is currently the PIF Manager supporting the development and implementation of PIF V6.0 with the AFGC.  She is also the CEO of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST).

Fiona is an experienced Corporate and Regulatory Affairs professional who has been involved in leading and facilitating change and developing management strategies across a portfolio of food policy and regulation matters in global FMCG and NGO environments.

Fiona has more than 30 years’ experience in the food industry in the areas of dairy, seafood, cereal based foods, smallgoods, tea, simmer sauces and pastes, ingredients, and infant formula. Fiona has previously worked for a large FMCG company in the role of Group Quality and Corporate Affairs Manager.  In this role she was responsible for providing leadership across Australia and New Zealand in the areas of food policy and regulation; consumer affairs and communication; issues and crisis management and food quality and safety.

Food Recall Workshop - Online interactive webinar

Having policies and procedures in place for a food or beverage product recall is one thing, executing them is another.

AIFST is pleased to be hosting a comprehensive workshop to help you develop the skills necessary to implement a program to evaluate and test the recall policies and procedures in place in your business.

This workshop will help you to understand how even the simplest oversights can derail an otherwise sound procedure. You will learn to evaluate the who, what, where, when and why of recalls and how a properly handled recall not only effectively protects the consumer, but also allows for the public image of a company to improve.

Find out:

• How to maintain a recall plan that is relevant to your business
• That a mock recall is more than just a traceability exercise
• Whether you have the resources to manage a recall
• The common pitfalls of recall execution
• What to look for in a product recall insurance policy

The workshop will also feature a recall simulation exercise designed to challenge and provide opportunities to learn.

This workshop is suitable for food and beverage business owners, Managers, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Managers, Technical Managers, Food Recall Coordinators and Recall team members.

Presenters:

Fiona Fleming - AIFST

Fiona is Managing Director of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST). She is an experienced Corporate and Regulatory Affairs professional who has been involved in leading and facilitating change and developing management strategies across a portfolio of food policy and regulatory matters in global FMCG and NGO environments.

Fiona has more than 30 years’ experience in the food industry in the areas of dairy, seafood, cereal-based foods, smallgoods, tea, simmer sauces and pastes, ingredients and infant formula. 

Peter McGee - Victual 

Victual are market leaders in the delivery of tailored risk management strategies for the unique risks faced by the food industry, and will lead the workshop team, which includes experts in product recall preparedness, public relations, policy and regulation, risk management and product recall insurance.

Peter has twenty years’ experience in the risk and insurance industries. He has multiple post-graduate qualifications that combine to provide a unique knowledge base of technical risk understanding complemented with commercial business acumen.

Andrew Brown, GS1 Australia (MBA)

Andrew is an expert in the management of product recalls and withdrawals. For the past seven years, Andrew has provided specialist advice for product safety professionals enabling them to plan and implement an efficient product recall management system.

He played a key role in the development and adoption of the GS1 Australia Recall portal, currently used by 700 Australian companies across the food, general merchandise and health industries.

Tickets:

AIFST Members: $95.00

Student/Graduate Members: $55.00

Non-Members: $160.00

Not a member? Join online today!

AIFST Webinar: The need for plant based meat alternatives

Date: Thursday 20th May

Time: 1:00pm - 2pm (AEST)

CPD Points: 1

OVERVIEW: Coming soon!

Speaker: Helen Morris, University of Adelaide

Helen is the Program Coordinator for the Bachelor of Food and Nutrition Science at the University of Adelaide and coordinates and teaches several of the nutrition science courses within this program.

She is an Education Specialist and a member of the University’s Education Academy, also an Accredited Practising Dietitian with 35 years of experience covering clinical nutrition and dietetics across the life cycle (neonatal to geriatrics), community and public health nutrition, food service and education across a wide variety of audiences.

She contributed at a state-level to the development and implementation of the South Australian healthy food and nutrition policy for schools and pre-schools, in particular the development and delivery of training workshops and resources. Her contribution was recognised in 2012 with an Order of Australia Medal.

University of Newcastle Central Coast Campus presents

Sustainable Food Future Conference 2021

Connecting community, industry and academia to create a sustainable food future.

This conference will bring together researchers, students, and local industry professionals in the food science and nutrition space to showcase current research efforts developing the next generation of sustainable food and nutrition services. The conference will feature presentations from leading experts in food science and nutrition research, with topics including nutrition and consumer science, food waste and sustainability, functional foods, postharvest technology, and nutrition and food science education.

The organising Committee:

Dr Tamara Bucher, Dr Patrice Jones, Dr Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay, Dr Emma Beckett, Dr Tim Kirkman, Dr Taiwo Akanbi, Dr Penta Pristijono, Dr Quan Vuong, Dr SP Singh, Prof Chris Scarlett.

Call for Abstracts:

The call for abstracts and EOI for themes are now open.

To view the abstract submission requirements click here

To submit your abstract or theme for consideration please click here.

The call for abstracts will close on the 30th of April 2021 at 11.59pm. The call for themes will close on the 10^th of March

Contribution Formats: Oral presentation or poster/e-poster

Themes may include but are not limited to:

• Sensory and consumer science
• Functional food ingredients
• Sustainable food production
• Nutrition science
• Postharvest and food innovations
• Food waste reduction and circular economy
• Wine innovations

Program: A detailed program will be announced in April 2021

Tickets: Both Virtual and In-Person attendance options available

• Standard In-Person Attendance – $195
• Student In-Person Attendance – $90
• Standard Virtual Attendance – $60
• Student Virtual Attendance – $30

Face to face registrations are limited to a total of 100 at this stage.