Predicting the future of the food and beverage industry isn’t an easy task, especially after a tumultuous two years that turned the industry upside down. However, there are some key insights to be noted that will continue to impact into 2022 and, likely, beyond.
Food companies will need to embrace a new normal or next normal to thrive and grow. What can we expect in this ever-changing world? What are the new challenges in the food industry due to new consumer expectations? How do we create opportunities for food manufacturers to deliver choices for all consumers?

In this session our speakers will highlight the trends and issues they expect to see on the horizon and offer some tips for thriving in this landscape. The session will open with an overview of global trends impacting on the food industry into the future. Following speakers will cover trends in specific areas of the future consumer, nutrition trends for health and wellness and food safety. The presentations look at evolving trends and the challenges we face. The session will conclude with a final call to action – what do you need to do to thrive rather than merely survive?

Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with speakers in a panel session Q & A following the presentations.

• 10:30 - 10:35: Welcome & introduction to session - Session Chair - Robin Sherlock, Safe Food Queensland
• 10:35 - 11.05: Global trends impacting the food industry - Keynote Speaker - Jacqueline Wilson-Smith
• 11.05 – 12.05
The Future of Healthy Food - Grant Davidson, Davidson Branding
Nutrition trends for consumer health & wellness - Dr Anneline Padayachee
Food safety challenges : What does the future look like ? - Robin Sherlock, Safe Food Queensland
• 12.05 – 12.30: Panel Q & A - facilitated by Jacqueline Wilson-Smith

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Whilst there are many factors involved for a business to be sustainable on the inside and out everyone can start with some important small steps. Understanding what a Circular Economy means to your business, how you can implement strategies to lower environmental impacts across all areas of your business and follow the principles for designing out waste at the start are just some of these steps. Looking beyond the current ‘take, make and dispose’ extractive industrial model, the circular economy is restorative and regenerative by design. Relying on system-wide innovation, it aims to redefine products and services to design waste out, while minimising negative impacts.
Establishing a Circular Economy enables a business to maintain the value of products materials and resources in the economy for as long as possible, alleviate security of supply risks, increases competitiveness, creates new business opportunities and introduces innovative products and services.
Come and hear from some leading experts in this space including Circular Economy experts, Sustainable design experts and Product Stewardship Schemes that are making a difference in the region. Everyone has a role to play in lowering environmental impacts. Come and find out how.

• 1.30 – 1.35: Welcome and introduction to session - Session Chair - Ralph Moyle FAIP, CPP, Education Coordinator, AIP
• 1.35 – 2.05: What does sustainability mean in 2022 and beyond Keynote Speaker - Nerida Kelton, Vice President Sustainability & Save Food, WPO
• 2.05 – 3.05: Panel discussion
Barry Cosier, Director - Sustainability, Australian Food & Grocery Council (AFGC)
Dr Nicole Garofano AAIP, ACE HUB Team, PlanetArk
Ebony Johnson, Policy Manager, National Retail Association
Alan Adams MAIP, Sustainability Director APAC, Sealed Air
• 3.05 – 3.30: Panel Q & A

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In his role as Wiley’s Chief Future Officer Brett works with industry bodies and commercial clients to understand and prepare for the future of their industries, markets and supply chains. Brett’s session will focus on findings in recent projects for corporate clients and industry bodies looking at trends across the food sector out to 2040 touching on:

- How technology will drive safer more sustainable food.
- How personalised food will change retail and food production.
- The opportunities for disruptive tech in the food sector.
- How Australia can benefit from the food disruption of the coming year
- Where the industry needs professionals and vendors to capitalise on the next wave of innovation.

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The majority of Australia’s food manufacturing industry still struggles under the weight of paper-based processes in their operations. Whether it is quality checks, maintenance task management or work order execution, the lack of accurate, real time and verified production data results in inefficiencies that significantly impact the bottom line. Hear from several innovators such as Lifestyle Bakeries with real world case studies of how to digitalise your operations in days to weeks and get ready for a smart manufacturing operations future.

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We are witnessing changing dietary patterns, with increasing numbers of flexitarians, due to concerns over the environment, animal welfare and personal health and nutrition. In this session, the opportunities and challenges in growing Australia’s protein industries will be discussed.

Australia's food industry is well placed to develop novel, differentiated protein products that meet the requirements and changing dietary patterns of the modern health- and welfare-conscious consumer.
As global demand for protein grows, our sources of animal protein must diversify to keep up. Australia is well-placed to become an international powerhouse for an emerging industry that could transform the way we produce meat: cellular agriculture. Cellular agriculture is dedicated to producing meat, eggs, and dairy directly from animals’ cells, not whole animals. It can reduce the impact of food production on our environment, health, and animal welfare, whilst meeting growing consumer demands for sustainable proteins.
Precision fermentation uses the same fundamental principles of fermentation that has long and safe history in supplementing and diversifying our foods. Precision fermentation offers alternatives to complement traditional agricultural production through new products produced with fewer resources. Precision fermentation involves using synthetic biology techniques to engineer single-celled organisms to produce proteins that can be made into food products, in much the same way yeast has been used to produce beer and wine (Lv et al, 2021).

Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with speakers in a panel session Q & A following the presentations.

• 10:30 - 10:35: Welcome and introduction to session - Session Chair - Heather Smyth, UQ
• 10:35 - 11.05: Protein alternatives - Michelle Colgrave, CSIRO
• 11.05 – 12.05
Precision fermentation - Rob Speight, QUT
Fermentation - Andrew Forrest, DAF
Plant-protein meat analogues: do they pass the taste test? - Heather Smyth, UQ
Cell Cultured Meat - KC Carswell, KC Carswell - Consulting
• 12.05 – 12.30: Panel Q & A

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With Australia producing 7.3 million tonnes of food waste across the supply and consumption chain and a Federal Government National Food Waste Strategy to halve food waste that goes to landfill by 2030 now is the time for packaging technologists to review pack designs that could minimise food waste and losses.

According to the National Food Waste Baseline that was launched earlier this year in 2016-17 (the base year), 2.5 million tonnes (34 per cent) was created in our homes, 2.3 million tonnes (31 per cent) in primary production and 1.8 million tonnes (25 per cent) in the manufacturing sector. Australians recycled 1.2 million of food waste, recovered 2.9 million tonnes through alternative uses for food waste and disposed of 3.2 million tonnes.

So what role does packaging play in preventing and or minimising food waste? The primary purpose of packaging is to contain, protect, preserve, promote and communicate, handle and transport and provide convenience for a product; all the while ensuring the safe delivery of food to the consumer. Without adequate packaging design features and fit-for-purpose packaging food can potentially be wasted all the way through the supply chain to the consumer. By modifying packaging designs and ensuring that save food packaging guidelines are followed food waste and loss can be minimised

This session will bring together leading experts in Food Waste & Loss, Food Design and Food Packaging and will discuss the latest reports and statistics, the initiatives and programs making a difference and seeing what best practice examples look like for Save Food Packaging design.

• 1.30 – 1.35: Welcome and introduction to session - Session Chair: Ralph Moyle FAIP, CPP, Education Coordinator, AIP
• 1.35 – 2.05: Mark Barthel, Chief Operating Officer, Stop Food Waste Australia
• 2.05 – 3.05: Panel discussion
Mark Mitchell, Chairman, AFCCC
George Ganzenmuller FAIP, CPP, Innovation Manager, Opal Fibre Packaging
Warwick Armstrong MAIP, General Manager Business Development and Marketing, Kuraray
Nerida Kelton, Executive Director, AIP
• 3.05 – 3.30: Panel Q & A

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Ralph Moyle

Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP)

Mark Barthel

Stop Food Waste Australia

Mark Mitchell

AFCCC

George Ganzenmuller

Opal Fibre Packaging

Warwick Armstrong

Kuraray

Nerida Kelton

Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP)