This month marks five years since the Australian National Cabinet implemented lockdown restrictions in response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or COVID-19. AIFST scientific advisor, Adjunct Professor Deon Mahoney, reflects on the response from the food sector, and the lessons learned for the future.
Source: AIFST
For the food industry, the pandemic was more than a public health emergency—it was a stress test of supply chains, workforce resilience, and food security. From panic buying to shifting consumer behaviours, the crisis reshaped how the agrifood sector operates.
As the peak body for food science and technology the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) played a crucial role in supporting the industry during this unprecedented period. Through webinars, technical guidance, and workforce resources, AIFST helped businesses navigate operational challenges, ensure food safety, and adapt to evolving regulations.
Now, five years later, it is a timely opportunity to consider what we have learned, the extent to which behaviours have changed, and whether pandemic-overload has lessened the status of strategies to
manage public health and promote good hygiene.
The impact and lessons of COVID-19
In March 2020, the world was gripped by the COVID-19 virus. It changed the nature of society and how we interacted with each other. The virus, and the public health measures enacted to control it, continue to have far-reaching effects on Australian society.
Australia has seen in excess of 12 million cases of COVID-19, and over 24,000 deaths. Globally more than twenty million people have died from COVID, and many people endure the effects of long-COVID. While the virus is still active in the community, it is no longer a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance and its management is focussed on prevention, reducing transmission, and managing serious illnesses. The National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System received 342,000 notifications for COVID-19 in 2024.
Five years ago, the emphasis was on protecting public health, and behind the scenes the food industry was facing the challenge of keeping supply chains functioning and people fed. While consumers reverted to making sour dough bread and testing new recipes, the food industry faced many challenges in feeding the nation. AIFST played an active support role, presenting a series of webinars on how to keep workers and food safe, remote auditing, and risk assessment around the challenges faced by the pandemic.
Our agrifood sector did an amazing job keeping workers safe and supply lines functioning, minimising disturbances in food production and processing, and ensuring food security for Australians. The sector identified vulnerabilities and sought solutions, and this will enhance our preparedness for future emergencies.
Importantly we must not let our guard down. COVID-19 still circulates in the community, and it is essential that we continue to practice behaviours that limit the spread of it, and other communicable diseases. So far in 2025, there have been 42,811 case notifications of COVID-19 across Australia and as of 11 March 2025 there are 24 cases in intensive care and 113 outbreaks in residential aged care facilities. The disease is still circulating in the community, so we need to remain vigilant, reinforce the importance of good hygienic practices, and protect others by isolating when we have symptoms.
As food scientists and technologists the responsibility remains to identify risks, evaluate threats, and implement strategies that ensure food safety and security – not just in times of crisis, but as an ongoing priority.
The pandemic changed the way we work and communicate, and how we respond to challenges which the industry took as opportunities to innovate, to do things differently, to embrace a ‘new normal’.
Let’s continue to embrace the opportunity to use food science and technology to meet challenges head on!
