AIFST State Branches

Cass graduated in 2007 from Charles Sturt University with B.  Applied Science in Food Science. 

Over the past 15 years, Cass has worked in primary industry and fast-moving consumer goods across a range of roles including Quality, Continuous Improvement, Operations, New Product Development. 

She has spent the last 22 years working in the food industry.  Starting out at 14 in a pie shop.  Food certainly is a passion!  But beyond that Cass has a vision for the world where no food is wasted, and no-one is hungry.

Her mission is to create and commercialise products that eliminate food waste and provide food for hungry people.

Cass believes it’s exciting times for Food Technologists globally.  There is a big focus on fighting food waste and with primary production contributing to more than 30% of Australia’s food waste, it’s a terrific opportunity to make a difference – particularly in the agricultural sector. 

Cass hopes are to engage the future leaders in food science though the AIFST and create a support platform to raise the profile of Australia’s talented food scientists.  

Dr Polly Burey graduated from the University of Auckland with a BE (Hons I) in Chemical and Materials engineering in early 2001 but grew up in the horticulture industry.  In late 2001 she came to Australia to do her PhD on an industry-linked confectionery project and never looked back.

Polly’s main passion in life is solving problems and sharing knowledge.  Many of the problems she has worked on have all come back to the food industry.  She likes communicating complex ideas simply, and this has translated into an almost 20-year career in academia teaching many food science and engineering graduates, along with industry-focused research. 

Polly’s recent focus is on rescuing ‘food waste’ and turning it into other useful products.  This involves working on not only the technical and practical processing aspects, but also the economics of doing so (technoeconomics). 

Polly greatly enjoys putting students in contact with people working within the food industry and guiding their development; she is still in contact with students she taught over 15 years ago and now they are guiding her recent graduates.  She also likes bringing industry contacts together when there is benefit to solving larger problems.  If you have a problem, or want to find information Polly is always happy to try and point you in the right direction.   

Annesley Watson

Annesley Watson is a Fellow of AIFST and a Food Science and Technology graduate of the University of New South Wales.  She is now retired after a 40+ year career which followed a passion for sensory and consumer science which she applied in academia (UNSW) and the food industry – brewing (Tooheys), baking (Arnott’s) and finally snackfoods & beverages (Pepsico).

Annesley has been an active member of AIFST since her undergraduate days, filling a number of roles in the NSW branch and co-founding the initial Sensory group.  Over the years she has always been keen to help other members’ development, generally though supporting meetings and the annual conference, but most specifically in Sensory and Consumer Science, working with others to provide meetings, workshops and symposia.  More recently, she was involved in helping to get the new Mentoring program up and running and has mentored two members in developing their careers. 

She hopes to continue this work with AIFST making use of all our capabilities to provide best value for our membership.

I grew up visiting the fabulous and famous Adelaide Central Market every Friday morning before school. It is where we did our weekly shopping – every week! My mum (at 86), still goes every week. It is where I learned about and learned to love food, and the food industry as a whole.

After finishing school, I joined the Australian Army Reserve (Catering Corps). I learned to cook, and outside of the Reserves, cooked in hotels and restaurants (pubs to 5 stars) for 12 years; also completing study in smallgoods manufacture, and Food Technology and moving my work focus to food manufacturing in 1996.

I worked in roles in Product Development and Quality Management, in the poultry processing, large scale bakery production, and egg processing industries, improving my skills, knowledge, and experience, and with further Food Science study, for the next 14 years.

In 2010 Food. Labelling and Safety was born, and my company is now my life!

Food. Labelling and Safety is a “one stop” Food Technology resource for Food and Beverage manufactures and associated industries, locally, nationally, and internationally. I work with single person businesses that sell products at local markets, to large companies that sell products all over the world.

I am also currently studying to qualify as a packaging technologist.

Local Food is my thing – I am a passionate advocate and supporter of South Australian food manufacturers and local brands. Ask me, I will tell you! A lot!!

I am a professional member of AIFST and have been for over 10 years. The AIFST is an absolute essential source of Food Technology resources, training, and information for me, for my company. As a single person business, I liken it to having a large group of extremely knowledgeable work colleagues. I see it as invaluable.

Dr Justin Whitely 

National Quality Assurance Manager, Compass Group Plc. 

Dr. Justin L. Whitely graduated from the University of Western Australia (UWA) with a BSc (First Class Honours) in Biochemistry (1981) before enrolling in a PhD with Associate Professor Peter Hartmann and Dr. David L. Willcox studying the hormonal control of parturition and lactation in the sow. During this period of study, Dr. Whitely joined the Western Australian Department of Agriculture (now the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development, DPIRD) and worked on projects within the Division of Dairy and Food Technology.

He was awarded his PhD and commenced work with the Craig Mostyn Group as the Group Research and Development Manager and was involved in the development and commercialisation of processes and products for incorporation in the general agri-business sector principally in horticultural and food service markets. From 1990 to 1999, he worked in a number of divisions of the Group including Globe Meats and Linley Valley Pork as a Quality Manager as well as in a production environment as Factory Manager. There were two memorable highlights he achieved during this time: 1) he developed and launched branded shaved products (Adelphi ham) in retail modified atmosphere packaging (first in Australia) with sales increasing four times the rate of the competitor’s product, and 2) he developed and implemented the Quality Management System at Linley Valley Pork to comply with the Western Australian Health Department Regulations. This enabled the abattoir and meat processing operation to commence within the schedule timeframe.

In 1999, Dr. Whitely joined P&O Services (a subsidiary company of P&O Australia) in the role of National Quality Assurance Manager working specifically in the offshore remote catering services division. Not long after that, P&O Services was subject to an acquisition arrangement and the food and remote catering services divisions were ultimately acquired by Compass Group Plc. As the General Manager Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) for Compass, he is responsible for the development and implementation of management systems designed to add value to the business and to reduce risk to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).

Dr. Whitely manages the compliance of Compass Group Australia to the ISO 9001 quality management standard and to best practice standards in food safety, occupational health, safety and environment as well as to national and state legislative standards. The certification of Compass business to the ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001 (soon to be ISO45001) and ISO 14000 management standards is also managed corporately by Dr. Whitely. In addition, Justin heads up a large loss prevention team that works to sustain the Compass continuous improvement programme by developing and implementing policies and procedures at all levels of the Compass organisation.

At Compass Group Australia, a significant amount of focus is now being placed on bringing ‘safety and risk management to life’ and Justin has introduced a behavioural based safety culture framework derived from the Keil Centre into the business. His team of safety and quality professionals have introduced a mobile App to help capture leadership interactions designed to reinforce the demonstration of safe behaviours as opposed to at-risk behaviours at all of our operating locations. He believes that strong and visible leadership at all levels is critical to fostering the risk management-based cultures within the business leading to improved safety and quality performance.

Dr. Whitely joined Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) in 1993, has been a member the WA Branch Committee continuously since 1999, served as Branch Chair from 2002 to 2003 and was created Fellow of the Institute in 2013.