The only global conference on infant and young children’s nutrition is being held over two days in Wellington on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

The Feeding the Future conference features a line-up of expert speakers from New Zealand, Australia, and around the world.

They will cover topics ranging from efficacy in toddler milk drinks and trade with China, to the infant formula shortage in the US, and everything in between.

It will be opened by the Minister of Agriculture and Trade & Export Growth, Damien O’Connor.

Feeding the Future is hosted by the Infant Nutrition Council, which represents the majority of manufacturers, marketers anad ingredient suppliers of infant formula and toddler milk drinks in New Zealand and Australian.

Keynote speakers include:

• Tracy Li Liangqiu, Executive Vice-President, China Nutrition and Health Food Assn: Facilitating the Development of the IF industry
• Dr Carrie Assar, US Food and Drug Administration: Infant formula regulation in the US.
• Dr Anne Jaquiery, Liggins Institute: Early Life Nutrition
• Prof Clare Wall, University of Auckland: Diet in the early years
• Prof Time Green and Dr Merryn Netting, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute: Trends and controversies in young child feeding practises
• Daniel Ong, Kuala Lumpur: Disruptions to the Global Supply Chain
• Maya Shehayeb, Euromonitor International: Key Trends and Effective Strategies
• Jack A. Bobo, Washington DC: Navigating the future of food
• Prof Phil Bremer, University of Otago: Current and emerging food safety issues
• Dr Kirill Lagutin, Callaghan Innovation: Bridging the Gap between Infant Formula & Breastfeeding outcomes
• Emeritus Prof Geoff Cleghorn, University of Queensland: Human Milk Oligosaccharides
• De Junichi Minami, Tokyo: Multifunctionality of Bi­dobacteria in the Infant Intestine
• Assoc Prof Bev Muhlhausler (Health and Biosecurity Unit, CSIRO): Toddler Milk Drinks Literature Review
• Glen Neal (General Manager Risk, FSANZ): The light at the end of the tunnel

The Chief Executive of the Infant Nutrition Council, Jan Carey, says she is excited by the calibre of local, regional, and international speakers.

“To have world-renowned experts here talking on a wide range of topics, presents a great opportunity for our industry to gain greater knowledge around some of the pressing issues facing the feeding of our infants.

“I’m also delighted delegates will hear directly from our two great trading partners: China and the United States.

“They will give the conference a truly international presence, alongside Malaysian, Japanese, and Australian speakers, with the infant nutrition world watching us, and will complement some of New Zealand’s world-leading authorities on feeding infants.

“The infant formula and toddler milk drink industry has contributed much to the knowledge of the nutritional needs of infants and young children, as well as the qualities and benefits of breast milk, but there is so much more to learn, and that’s what this conference is all about.”

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