The 4th Food Allergen Management Symposium (FAMS) was held across 3 days from 18-20th May 2021, followed by a 4th day on 21st May for the Allergen Testing Special Interest Group (AT-SIG).
Symposium delegates can access the recorded presentations now via their conference login.
| Did you miss FAMS2021 live? We are looking to set-up post conference registration to allow new users access for recorded presentations to be viewed on demand. Watch this space for an Allergen Bureau eAlert detailing how to access the recorded presentations. |
This bi-annual conference, held on a virtual platform, achieved a level of gravitas akin to the preceding three face to face events. FAMS2021 drew its usual line up of alumni from the international food allergen management community to share knowledge, exchange ideas, discuss research and deepen relationships, and did not disappoint.
This year’s conference plenary was delivered by Steve Taylor (Professor Emeritus and Founding Director (retired), Food Allergy Research & Resource Centre), which set the scene for the conference program and theme – Science informing consumer health in a challenging world. The first day headlined speakers from regulatory agencies including US-FDA, FSANZ, UK Food Standards Agency and Health Canada and closed-out with a sampling of clinical academics updating the latest in the field of allergology.
Day two invited delegates to learn of the allergic consumers view, followed by an update on allergen management and regulation and new challenges, the last session for the day detailed practical information on allergen management, from farm-to-fork. Speakers from within Australia and across the globe provided food for thought against a back-drop of a changed and challenged world.
A case study was presented on the 3rd day of FAMS, leading delegates across the mine-field of a very real crisis, giving perspectives from all angles including, regulators, industry, the allergic consumers who were impacted and the resulting analytical initiatives. This provided a powerful demonstration of the power of communication and shared experienced when the allergen community work together for a common goal. The final FAMS session presented a line-up of experts in the field of risk assessment, talking to the now and the future of this ever-important aspect of allergen science and management.
We were again privileged to round-off the FAMS conference with a day of presentations with an analytical lens, with the Allergen Testing -Special Interest group, a collaboration between the Allergen Bureau and NMI. This final day focused specifically on the analytical challenges of allergen management with a diverse group of international contributors providing their insights and updates.
FAMS is known for its uniqueness to other conferences of this type, bringing together the full spectrum of stakeholders from clinicians to researchers, food industry, health care & hospitality, to consumers and analysts, joined as a broad delegation with a single purpose, to support the food allergic individual. We must acknowledge that FAMS can only happen with the support of the generous partnership of key stakeholders, The National Measurement Institute, the University of NSW, Safe Food Queensland, and the Allergen Bureau. These organisations provide countless hours of their representative’s time to power the Organising Committee and bring forward an international event to rival the best.
We look forward to a more normalised world in 2023 and hope to see everyone face to face at FAMS2023 in Brisbane, Queensland.
