It was great to be able to get out of the office and in front of more than a handful of people at February’s Food Conference in South Brisbane, Australia.

Air Environment’s director Andrew Balch presented on odour issues in the food industry and how best to go about addressing an odour complaint.  The talk encouraged both community and regulators to solve any odour issues on the front foot, rather than ignore complaints and hope that they go away. Andrew emphasised how faster and cheaper solutions are always proactive rather than reactive.

Other speakers fascinated the audience with the dos and don’ts of making strategic business changes in a crisis, how Covid is traced in Queensland and what to do if a worker tests positive, where listeria is going to occur in the food supply and how to stop it and risks in the fridge or how food can still turn when cold.

The difference between speaking to people face to face rather than through Zoom was obvious to everyone, so fingers crossed that 2021 allows more opportunities for in-person events than 2020 did.