It’s time to get together! NZIFST/NZFSSRC Conference, AUT, North Shore, Auckland

Director of the NZ Food Safety Science & Research Centre (NZFSSRC), Marie Bradley, will chair a mind-blowing future-focussed session featuring Jarred Mair (MPI) on AI and new technologies; Rachel Kilmister (NZ Apples & Pears) on the science of apple production; and Steffi Thomas (University of Otago) on ways of controlling contaminants in cellular agriculture, without the use of chemicals.

Tim Harwood (Cawthron Institute and Deputy Director of NZFSSRC) will tell the story of his involvement in managing the monster algal bloom in Adelaide; Nikki King (PHF Science) will sober us with the panoply of emerging national and global risks to food safety; and Andrew Pearson (Tonkin & Taylor) will give an expert perspective on chemicals in agrifood water and their potential to compromise food safety.  So much more science besides, plus insights from Roger Cook (NZ Food Safety) into the regulatory world on the Terrace, and Distinguished Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith CNZM (Ngā Āhuatanga o Te Kai/ Kai Research Institute) on all that Māori knowledge can bring to the table.
 
Kate Gatfield-Jefferies, 2025 Ernst Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Founder of Moodi, will reward early risers with the benefit of her experiences at the always popular women’s breakfast event.

The full programme is ready to view now and registrations are open.   Invest in the latest science, relationships with like-minded professionals, and time out to take the long view of New Zealand’s food industry.

Published on: 26 March 2026