In this panel presentation by the Alternative Proteins Council (APC) you will hear how curiosity drives creativity, innovation and growth. We will
- share a bit about the APC’s focus on plant based alternative proteins, cultured food/ingredients and foods produced by precision fermentation
- discuss the alternative protein landscape
- key drivers, consumer attitudes and trends, and
- opportunities and challenges for the category

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In August last year, Australia’s top peak food industry bodies calculated the food supply chain was short by over 170,000 workers from paddock to plate.
To further add to the challenge, food manufacturing is not slowing down. There has been a shortage of skilled labour for some time and as the previous generation of workers retire, the next wave of entering the workforce is not nearly of the same scale. This panel discusses the impacts and solutions for the ongoing labour challenges across Australia's food supply chain.

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Brownfield of Greenfield knowing how to plan leads to successful delivery.
How do you plan early to make your project a success? What are the rookie mistakes we see people make? Master planning, and budgeting - getting it wrong early can be really costly in the end?

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There are a suite of intellectual property rights which are directly applicable to the food sector.

Patents offer a means for exclusive protection of a range of innovations in the food sector – for example, manufacturing and factory automation, storage, packaging – that provide a commercial advantage over competitors. Patents also act as tangible assets to facilitate business discussions.

Trade Marks protect your badge of origin and is a way of identifying or distinguishing your product or service from those of third parties. They are a valuable asset if protected and used correctly.

This session will discuss intellectual property with a focus on trademarks and patents as they are applicable to the food sector, what protection they can offer, and how they can best be used as business tools.

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This session demonstrates the importance of real-time visibility in the food production industry and how Ignition SCADA can provide this by monitoring the entire production process. Ignition SCADA not only provides real-time visibility, but it also works to enable digital transformation. By enabling digital transformation, Ignition SCADA allows food producers to move towards Industry 4.0, allowing manufacturers to create smart factories that optimise production, reduce costs, and improve quality.

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Food safety continues to be an ongoing concern with consumers. Temperature variations, extended distances of distribution and demand for cleaner labels have all contributed to an increased risk of food spoilage in both minimally processed and ready-to-eat foods. This session looks at the new DuraShield™ blends, developed by Kalsec®, which leverage the synergistic benefits of cultured dextrose, rosemary extract and buffered vinegar, in carefully designed combinations to effectively inhibit the growth of spoilage microorganisms, development of rancidity and discoloration in food products.

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Labour shortages combined with a stronger focus on overall operational excellence, makes this the right time for a deep dive into the benefits of Hygienic Design for the food industry. This session will guide you through how a proactive approach to Hygienic Design will increase sanitation efficiency and positively impact production up-time, product shelf-life, asset (preventive) maintenance, etc. and how Hygienic Design ultimately affects your business’ long-term profitability and sustainability.

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What trends are we seeing in investment in food facilities?
How will new tech trends on the global stage change food production?
How will technology eliminate waste and improve sustainability?
How can we be early adopters and ensure a bright future?

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Whether it’s adverse weather events, labour shortages, shifting market trends or the imminent global recession, the demands on Australia’s food supply chain are challenging. No matter what you’re packing, food companies can prepare for these events through leveraging sustainable, automated, and digitally connected packaging solutions, that yield cost savings, resource and throughput efficiencies, and sustainable brand engagement.
Whether you’re a food processor or brand owner, this session will offer ways to bring back predictability and profits with Sealed Air’s trusted CRYOVAC brand food packaging solutions and SEE Automation packaging systems.

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Developed with circularity in mind through sustainably sourced raw material from upcycled citrus peels, a by-product of the juicing industry, NUTRAVA® Citrus Fibre is a highly versatile and effective solution for formulators. Via a proprietary process, CP Kelco ideated and developed NUTRAVA® Citrus Fibre to offer the food & beverage industry a clean-label friendly option. This session demonstrates the multiple benefits of NUTRAVA® Citrus Fibre, including stability, suspension, water-binding, texture, and overall sensory experience support in various applications.

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The challenges faced by Food and Beverage manufacturers around productivity, cost pressures, CO2 footprint, and changing consumer demand are driving the need for innovation in the manufacturing space.

Industry 4.0, digitalisation, and decarbonisation give opportunities for manufacturers to unlock the potential of their operations and implementing a digital strategy gives them the tools to respond quickly, flexibly and cost effectively to demands, whilst maintaining quality.

However, this is often a new frontier for manufacturers with many unknowns. In this session, you will be shown examples of different stages of the digitalisation journey look like and how SMEs can plan to progress to the next stages with practical steps.

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The things that really matter in your new factory. Energy, People, Automation - we're at a tipping point of designing to produce the way it has been done to now designing for how things will be done.

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In this session, you will learn about the healthy aging market, strategies for healthy aging through nutrition, and innovative food concepts adapted to aging populations. All over the world, people are living longer. Today, for the first time in history, most people have a life expectancy of over 60 years (WHO, 2020). Historically, aging has been associated with a decrease in physical and cognitive abilities. It is possible, however, to support people’s healthy aging, especially in terms of diet.

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Yield has a significant and direct impact on the bottom line as it often reflects a company’s overall competitiveness. Since 70-75% of the cost of the final product stems from the raw material, it is vital to closely control the actual yield. Even very small deviations can have a substantial financial impact on the profitability of the business because of the ever-increasing amount of food being processed. This session will demonstrate how understanding how process deviations can be set to trigger corrective actions, or a response, can quickly improving the production process to maximise the profit.

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The ability to dry in a continuous commercial operation at temperatures mild enough to retain functionality was always limited by technology. Engineered and manufactured in the US, the recently launched PolarDry® technology has overcome this limitation with proven capacity to produce powders of very high quality at low temperatures. This session discusses the benefits demonstrated for manufacturing oil-encapsulated powders and materials that are biologically active.

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