Webinar: Science-led solutions for safe food

Webinar 3 in our Food Science & Technology Week Series! Science-led solutions for safe food

Food safety is shaped by a rapidly changing food system — and science is critical to understanding the risks, informing decisions and building public trust.

Ahead of World Food Safety Day (7 June 2026), AIFST is hosting a conversation on factors impacting food safety today.

The theme for 2026 is From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere. At AIFST our focus in this webinar will be on the key message, Science and evidence on impact inform decisions and build trust.

Our panel will explore how contemporary food production and processing practices, climate change, supply chain complexity, contamination risks, novel ingredients and foods, and changing consumer behaviour and expectations are impacting food safety and how science is informing sustainable solutions.

Moderated by Deon Mahoney, the panel will bring together perspectives from food safety research, epidemiology, regulation, industry and consulting to consider how science can help identify risks, guide decision-making and support sustainable, evidence-based solutions.

Key learning outcomes include:

• Understand key factors influencing food safety in contemporary food systems
• Explore how science and evidence inform food safety decisions, policy, regulation and industry practice
• Consider the impact of climate change, supply chain complexity, novel foods and changing consumer expectations on food safety
• Gain insight into how cross-sector collaboration can support safer, more resilient food systems

Moderator

• Deon Mahoney, Scientific Advisor, AIFST

Panellists

• Dr Kelly Hill, Research Program Manager, SAAFE CRC
• Martyn Kirk, Professor of Epidemiology, The Australian National University
• Duncan Craig, Director, Nutrition & Regulation, Australian Food and Grocery Council
• Shokoofeh Shamsi, Professor of Parasitology, Charles Sturt University
• Emma Kent, Emma Kent Consulting