June was a busy month of industry engagement for the Allergen Bureau team — with Directors representing the Bureau at key food safety forums and events across Australia and New Zealand. Here’s a snapshot of recent highlights:
Championing Allergen Management at the FIAQ Food Safety Conference
AB President Jasmine Lacis-Lee was a featured speaker at the 20th Annual Food Safety Conference hosted by the Food Industries Association of Queensland (FIAQ). Jasmine’s presentation, “Food Allergens: Is Your Business at Risk of Recall?”, addressed one of the most pressing risks in the current food manufacturing environment: allergen-related product recalls.
She emphasised the importance of embedding allergen management into food safety culture and operations and highlighted the latest science and regulatory expectations driving industry best practice.
Thank you to Jasmine for her continued leadership and advocacy for better allergen management across the sector.
Industry Collaboration at NZIFST Allergen Awareness Event
AB Director Debbie Hawkes presented at the New Zealand Institute of Food Science & Technology (NZIFST) Branch Meeting and Allergen Awareness Event in Auckland, held alongside the Branch AGM.
Debbie joined a panel of speakers from manufacturing, test kit supply, consumer advocacy fields to discuss practical approaches to allergen risk management. Topics included the complexity of today’s food supply chains, cross-contact prevention, test kit options and validation, and the role of industry collaboration in advancing allergen awareness.
It was fantastic to see such strong engagement from NZIFST members and to connect with Allergy NZ CEO Mark Dixon to discuss shared priorities between industry and the allergy community.
Driving Consistency at McDonald’s Food Safety & Quality Forum
Lisa Clark, Manager of the Allergen Bureau, participated in McDonald’s Food Safety & Quality Forum, engaging with McDonald’s and its supplier network on the changing landscape and evolving practices in allergen management and risk assessment, including the impact of VITAL 4.0 on business operations..
Lisa highlighted the importance of consistent, collaborative approaches to allergen management across the supply chain — and the opportunity for industry to strengthen collective capability in this space.
It was also an opportunity to acknowledge the proactive steps many McDonald’s suppliers are taking to enhance food safety and quality while contributing to a resilient and trusted domestic food industry.
