2024 Food Microbiology Conference - Written by Peter Traynor

The 2024 Food Microbiology conference was held at Graduate House, University of Melbourne, a joint meeting of The Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST), Australian Association for Food Protection (AAFP), and The Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM).

Many thanks to the AIFST as host organisers, especially Fiona Fleming and Melissa Garland, for such a complete and fulfilling program. ASM conference program committee included Mark Turner (UQ) and Andrea McWhorter (Uni Adelaide), and the mix and balance across the two days flowed well.  See the conference program at https://www.aifst.asn.au/resources/Documents/2024/2024%20Food%20Microbiology%20Conference%20Program.pdf

Great to meet new people, old friends, and professional colleagues - all striving for excellence in food safety and best-practice microbiological means to get there.

It was apt and appropriate that the launch of the new ASM 'Guidelines for Assuring Quality of Food and Water Microbiological Media' 3rd edition 2024, was able to take place at the 2024 Food Microbiology conference. Many thanks for the many kind words, feedback, and support from the delegates, trade, and conference organisers on the launch of the ASM Guidelines.

The collaboration between the three organisations to present a united meeting on the topic of food microbiology is one to be applauded and supported, and bodes well for future meetings.

Peter Traynor MASM

Thank you to AIFST for the photos