Member Matters

AFGC at the AIFST24 Convention 

12 August 2024

The AFGC attended the successful Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) Convention in Sydney this month and participated on two panels.  

The first panel on Day 1 covered the contentious topic of food processing classification. Chaired by Dr Alan Barclay, the panel members were Kim Tikellis, Coles Group, Dr Emma Beckett, FOODiQ Global, Anne-Marie Mackintosh, AFGC and Dr Amanda Grech, University of Sydney who shared their different perspectives on the definition, science, impact on policy and understanding by consumers of ultra-processed foods.   

Questions included 

• What is the scientific basis of UPF research and how does it relate to Australia’s dietary guidelines?  
• What do consumers think about UPFs? Is the UPF concept a useful tool for consumers?  
• Can the average Australian afford to eliminate UPFs from their diet? What would be the effect on food security, safety and the environment?  

As a background, the AFGC has developed Processed Food Resources for members, which are available on the AFGC website.

On Day 2, Dr Duncan Craig, Director of Nutrition and Regulation, AFGC chaired a food policy and regulation panel. With a global population expected to increase by 2 billion by 2050, regulation must keep pace with innovation while ensuring consumer safety. Panellists Dr Lisa Szabo, CEO of NSW Food Authority, Jo Davey, Pirrama Consulting and FSANZ Board member, Kim Tonnet, All G Food and Charles Fisher, KHQ Lawyers highlighted the importance of collaboration, transparency and communicating the ‘why’ to support and build trust in new products and technologies. 

The sessions were both well attended, generating a range of questions and lively discussion. The 90 minutes flew and more time could have been spent on further debate.