Food Science Fundamentals

Virtual Short Course

The aim of this course is to familiarise food industry staff on the basic principles of food science.

Understanding the language used to assist communication with other staff and customers. Identify how food science impacts and supports their non-science role. 

This course will be delivered virtually, and the content includes:

• What is Food Science?
• Food Policy & Regulations
• Food Chemistry – the building blocks
• The Future of Food
• Food Microbiology
• Nutrition – food and the human body
• Food Processing
• Innovation
• Sensory & Consumer Science
• Food Safety
• Food Safety Culture

The course is held over four (4) afternoons:

• Thursday, 12th February 2026 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM (AEDT)
• Thursday, 26th February 2026 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM (AEDT)  
• Thursday, 12th March 2025 2026 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM (AEDT)
• Thursday, 26th March 2026 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM (AEDT)

Only 30 places available.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the interactive nature and long hours these sessions will NOT BE RECORDED and you are expected to be in attendance to gain the most from this course.

AIFST QLD FOOD SCIENCE MASTERCLASS for Food & Nutrition Teachers

Join us for an exclusive full day face-to-face Masterclass designed to enhance your teaching and inspire your students! This is an exciting opportunity to enrich classroom content with cutting-edge insights.

• Discover career pathways in the food industry
• Food Waste
• Innovation and Food Trends
• Food regulation including Nutrition Information Panels (NIPs)
• Food Safety including HACCP
• Understand sensory evaluation
• Tour state of the art food science labs

* Registrations for this event are only open to QLD Teachers 

Program Outline 

Kick off 2026 with the AIFST QLD Branch at our first Tech Talk of the year!

Join us for an evening dedicated to two of the industry's most pressing topics: Food Fraud and Sustainability.

We are excited to welcome experts from ICS, who will share the latest global and domestic developments in food fraud. Additionally, Alice Bullock, Sustainability Manager at Primo Smallgoods, will provide a behind-the-scenes look at how Australia’s largest meat processing facility approaches sustainability.

Registration includes a selection of sandwiches, fruit, sweets, and tea/coffee.

Don’t miss this opportunity to network and learn from industry leaders.

A big thank you to the team from Safe Food QLD for hosting us!

Webinar: Micro & Nanoplastics: Implications in Food Safety

Micro and nanoplastics are now part of everyday life, with inhalation and ingestion recognised as the primary exposure pathways. Yet significant gaps remain in our understanding of how much we are exposed to, where these exposures originate, and what happens to these particles once inside the body.

This webinar will present recent research from the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS) at the University of Queensland, including findings from an Australian dietary survey examining ingestion exposures. Emerging evidence suggests that commonly consumed beverages such as beer, wine, bottled water and tap water may represent key exposure sources. The session will also explore how plastic shedding from food contact materials, including storage containers, baby bottles and kettles, may contribute to contamination.

In addition, the presentation will examine the analytical challenges associated with detecting and quantifying small micro and nanoplastics in complex food and beverage matrices, and what this means for risk assessment and regulatory considerations.

This session is relevant to food safety professionals, regulators, researchers, quality assurance teams and industry stakeholders seeking to better understand the implications of micro and nanoplastics for the food supply chain.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of this webinar, participants should be able to:

• Identify the primary ingestion pathways for micro and nanoplastics in the Australian diet.
• Explain how food contact materials may contribute to microplastic contamination in foods and beverages.
• Understand current analytical limitations in detecting and quantifying micro and nanoplastics, and the implications for food safety assessment and regulation.

Speaker: Dr Cassandra Rauert

Dr Cassandra Rauert is a Senior Research Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), University of Queensland. She is the microplastics project lead in the Minderoo Centre-Plastics and Human Health, investigating human exposure pathways to micro and nanoplastics and developing new methods for detection in human matrices. Her other research interests include the impact of tyre road wear particles and their chemical additives on the environment and developing novel biomonitoring methods for assessing human exposure to chemicals of concern.

WEBINAR: The Invisible Hazard: How Air Impacts Food Safety

Overview:

• What is compressed air?
• Risks associated with compressed air in production systems, and
• Requirements from various GFSI schemes such as Codex HACCP, BRC, and SQF, along with the specific expectations from Woolworths and Coles.

Presenters:

• Jonathon Sauseda, Tri Air Testing 
• Gary Kennedy, Correct Food Systems 

Jonathon Sauseda Bio

Jonathon Sauseda serves as the Vice President of TRI Air Testing, a nationally recognized leader in compressed air and gas analysis for critical industries. With extensive experience supporting food manufacturing, pharmaceutical production, quality breathing air, and other high‑compliance environments, Jonathon helps organizations identify and manage the often-overlooked risks associated with compressed air systems.

Throughout his career, Jonathon has supported facilities across the United States in developing and implementing compressed air testing programs aligned with major GFSI schemes and industry standards, including Codex HACCP, BRCGS, SQF, ISO, NFPA, and CGA requirements. He has also worked directly with organizations such as the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy, Coca‑Cola USA, Tito’s Vodka, and Tesla. Jonathon is recognized for translating complex regulatory and auditing expectations into clear, actionable steps that strengthen product safety and operational reliability.

Jonathon is known for his ability to break down technical concepts into clear, engaging insights for both technical teams and executive stakeholders. In today’s session, he will share best practices for identifying contamination risks, meeting compliance requirements, and designing an effective compressed air monitoring strategy that stands up to auditor scrutiny.

Gary Kennedy Bio

Gary Kennedy has worked in quality assurance and product development roles in the meat, transport and cook chill industries, within the healthcare sector, and as a food safety trainer, consultant and lead food safety auditor.

He has written over 30 papers, and has written or co-written guidelines and codes for the Cook-Chill, Smallgoods, Hospital, Child Care and Refrigerated Transport Industries.

In Sydney, he manages a food safety consultancy business, Correct Food Systems, providing food safety advice, primarily to small and medium businesses.

He is a Fellow of AIFST and a Life Member of the Institute of Hospitality in HealthCare.

He appears regularly on ABC 702 in Sydney and makes appearances on Channel 7 and 9 current affairs programs.

Engage 2026: A hybrid education program for tertiary

food science students

Engage 2026 is an opportunity for tertiary food science students to come together to connect and learn from industry and academic leaders from across the agrifood industry. The program is delivered in a hybrid format across 10 x 2hr sessions hosted by a different university each time. Students will have the opportunity to attend in person or virtually.

The aim is to enhance your current academic program and networks, building on your current skills and challenging your knowledge through critical and reflective thinking to better prepare you for the practical, real-world need for food science and your potential place within the agrifood industry. This program is intended to ‘jump start’ your industry readiness.

The course will be run over 10 x 2hr sessions. Nine of these sessions will be held face to face at university campuses around Australia and recorded for all registered participants. The final session, Careers, will be a Zoom session. These sessions will be delivered from March 2026 to October 2026. Please note dates & times are subject to change and confirmation of dates and session times will be emailed to all participants prior to the session.

Engage 2026 Program:

5 March 2026 – Session 1 University of Queensland (COMPLETED)

Topic: Indigenous Food

27 March 2026 – Session 2 Deakin University

Topic: Food Safety

Location:

Deakin Downtown

Tower 2, Level 12/727 Collins Street

Melbourne VIC 3008

30 April 2026 – Session 3 University of New South Wales
Topic: AI, Data and Digital Transformation

14 May 2026 – Session 4 Monash University
Topic: Innovation

16 June 2026 – Session 5 RMIT University
Topic: New Product Development

20 August 2026 – Session 6 University of Melbourne
Topic: Sustainability

Early September 2026 – Session 7 University of Sydney
Topic: Health and Nutrition

Mid-September 2026 – Session 8 University host to be confirmed
Topic: Food Processing & Manufacturing Futures

28 September 2026 – Session 9 QAAFI, Queensland
Topic: Sensory & Consumer Science

Mid-October 2026 – Session 10 Online
AIFST Career Event Online - Engage 2025 Wrap Up

This program is designed to help tertiary food science students grow their confidence, expand their networks and build practical, real-world skills alongside their academic studies. 

AIFST and FaBA - Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator are looking forward to delivering this program for our student and graduate members.

Webinar: Food Structure - How It Affects Nutrition and Gut Health

Dietary fibre supports health throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and its benefits depend not only on the amount consumed but also on its type and structure. In the upper GI tract, fibres—particularly resistant starch and intact plant structures—slow digestion and glucose release, helping lower the glycaemic index (GI) of foods and improving blood sugar control and satiety. In the lower GI tract, fibres that escape digestion are fermented by gut microbes to produce short-chain fatty acids that are known to nourish the colon, support immunity, and improve metabolic health. Our work also shows that fibre trapped within intact plant cells, common in minimally processed cereals, legumes, and tubers, ferments more slowly, promotes greater microbial diversity, and contributes to sustained gut health and improved overall nutrition.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of this webinar, participants should be able to:

• Understand how different types and structures of dietary fibre influence digestion, glycaemic response and satiety.
• Learn how fibre that reaches the lower gut supports beneficial microbes and the production of health-promoting short-chain fatty acids.
• Explore why minimally processed plant foods with intact cell structures can play an important role in sustaining gut health and overall nutrition

Speaker: Dr Sushil Dhital

Sushil Dhital is an academic and researcher in food engineering and nutrition whose work focuses on understanding how the structure of plant-based foods influences digestion, nutrition, and health. He is based in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Monash University, where he leads research at the interface of food engineering, carbohydrate science, and human nutrition.

Dr Dhital has published more than 160 peer-reviewed scientific papers and is the author of two books on carbohydrate and starch nutrition. His research explores the structure–property–function–health relationships of foods and ingredients, linking plant molecular structures to digestion, metabolic responses, and food functionality. Using interdisciplinary approaches spanning physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering, his work employs in-vitro and in-vivo models to understand how food structure influences nutrient release, glycaemic response, and gut microbiome interactions.

AIFST is pleased to present the 2026 Food Microbiology Conference on 6th & 7th May 2026 in Sydney. 

The theme for the 2026 Food Microbiology Conference is: Culture Shift: microbes and technology shaping food.

This in-person event, co-convened by AIFST, the Australian Association for Food Protection, and the Australian Society of Microbiology, promises an enriching two-day agenda filled with insights from renowned experts. 

Whether you’re from industry, academia, research, regulation, or government, this conference is your opportunity to: 

• Grow your network 
• Engage with thought leaders 
• Deepen your understanding of trends and opportunities in food microbiology 

Attendees are invited to enhance their networking opportunities at an optional exclusive canapés and drinks gathering on 6th May at the venue.

CATERING

• Morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea are included in the ticket price. 
• Optional networking event ticket for 6^th May 2026 (please purchase separately via this LINK).

For additional details including the Program overview and Partners, please visit our WEBPAGE HERE

The AIFST 2026 Food Microbiology Conference is being held on 6th & 7th May 2026 at the Novotel at Homebush in Sydney

This option is to purchase a ticket to attend the networking evening on the 6th May. There are limited numbers for this event hence why it is not added as an inclusion with the main conference registration.

The networking event will include a 2 hour canape package and grazing table and one alcoholic beverage. There will be a cash bar for additional drink purchases.

This registration is only available to attendees of the conference.