Fonterra CEO Major Speaker At Food Conference

Media release 17.06.07

Fonterra CEO major speaker at food conference

Food scientists say they're pleased Fonterra chief executive Charles Ferrier is to be the major speaker at their annual conference in Wellington next week. (June 19 to 21)

Fonterra is a prime contributor to New Zealand's economy and the Institute of Food Science and Technology sees usually reticent Mr Ferrier's presence as an endorsement of the conference theme, Food The Challenges.

Mr Ferrier follows Cabinet minister Steve Maharey, who opens the conference in Wellington Town Hall on Tuesday morning, and is to discuss Food: The challenges for growth creation in New Zealand.

The three-day conference has attracted an international line-up of speakers who will focus on the food the world consumes now and in the future. Their addresses will encompass food science, packaging, processing, technology, legislation, regulations, health and the consumer.

Institute president Dr Sally Hasell says the conference is an opportunity for New Zealand food scientists to share their work and thinking at a major international forum and the conference outcomes are likely to contribute to significant developments in the industry.

Other speakers include internationally-acclaimed food nutrition and health specialist Julian Mellentin, the London-based director of the Centre for Food and Health Studies and Makoto Kinjo, the president of ANZCO Foods Japan Ltd, a subsidiary of the New Zealand-based multi-national meat processing and marketing company.

On Thursday the focus is on Asian consumers with a keynote paper by Dr Rao Ping-fan, professor and dean of the College of Biosciences and Biotechnology at Fuzhou University, China. Dr Rao leads a group working on the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine and the industrialisation of traditional Chinese foods.

University students will present several research papers on topics ranging from milk processing to chewing, campylobacter and rice fibre.

Dr Hasell says the students' work is often ground breaking and the opportunity to discuss their research at an international forum emphasises the importance of food processing and nutrition and the future prosperity of the New Zealand food industry

Contact:
John Hathaway
04 3828307
027 2401518

ENDS