Food for Thought is a monthly, members-only e-newsletter from the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST).
PRESIDENTIAL FODDER
It's hard to believe we already find ourselves on the cusp of March and the start of the spring season.

The first two months of 2019 have truly been a blur. That's because time flies when you're busy as I've said in this space on previous occasions. And we have certainly been busy here in the National office of CIFST. Since the relative peace and quiet of the holiday season, a great deal has taken place.

The pilot of our Mentorship Program officially launched on February 12 and mentor sessions are currently taking place across the country between our mentor volunteers and a group of young professionals at the forefront of their food and beverage sector careers. I'm very pleased to be a part of this year's program and I want to take a moment to thank all of our volunteer mentors who are listed further below. Their dedication to the industry is truly appreciated.

On January 30, I was the guest speaker for a highly successful webinar entitled Future of Plant Proteins: Utilization in Food and Beyond . Close to 125 people registered for this first-in-a-series webinar. Stay tuned as we will be announcing the next webinar in the next week or so.

Meanwhile, a small but mighty group of volunteers has been hard at work helping to put together the technical programming for 2019 Canadian Food Summit taking place in Halifax, Nova Scotia May 22 to 24 . With the theme of Sustainable Innovation , there will be something for everyone on this year's conference agenda which will be unveiled shortly.

In the meantime, why not consider sponsorship of this year's event or reserving a space in the tabletop exhibition? More details on those opportunities can be found at the bottom of this issue of Food for Thought.

Until next time, stay warm!
Dr. Michael Nickerson
CIFST President
BITS & BITES
Rebated online HACCP training available to CIFST members beginning in March

In partnership with the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre , CIFST members will soon be able to take advantage of rebated rates for the HACCP and Food Safety Certificate Program.

Applicable for the full three-stage certificate program, CIFST members in good standing will receive a 20 per cent rebate upon the successful completion of the course.

Be sure to watch for complete details of the partnership program to be announced on the CIFST website and elsewhere early next month.
Exhibitor registration now open for Manitoba Supplier Expo

The Manitoba Section of CIFST has recently opened exhibitor registration for its Supplier Expo taking place this fall. Dedicated to the agri-food industry in the Canadian Prairies, the event will provide a cost-effective forum to meet and build a network with potential clients and consumers.

The one-day tradeshow will take place on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg, MB. The Manitoba Section invites anyone interested in showcasing their products or services to REGISTER A TABLE today!
Mentorship pilot program has officially launched

The 2019 pilot Mentorship Program officially launched on February 12 with nearly 50 mentors and mentees taking part. The unique cloud-based program provides young professionals within the food and beverage sector valuable opportunities for personal and professional growth through one-on-one networking sessions with industry thought leaders.

The impressive gallery of 2019 mentors can be viewed HERE . For their dedicated volunteerism and support of the future of the industry, we want to take a moment to thank each and every one of them. They include:

Louis Ayotte , Barry Callebaut (QC)
Sajula Balaji , Kosha Foods (ON)
Sandra Berube , Dempsey (QC)
Sam Choucha , Kerry (QC)
Judy Chow , Regulatory Consultant (ON)
Tanya Der , Pulse Canada (MB)
Belinda Elysee-Collen , Dempsey (ON)
Nadine Farran Gatti , FONA International (ON)
Zachary Farr , PepsiCo (BC)
Marla Feliciano , McCormick Canada (ON)
Ashlea George , Andrew Peller (ON)
Saji George , McGill University (QC)
Hisham Karami , Alberta Health (AB)
Rob Kowal , Kriscor & Associates (ON)
Gordon Kozak , Ecom Food Industries (ON)
Carol Marchand , Quadra Ingredients (QC)
Mike Nickerson , University of Saskatchewan (SK)
Allan Paulson , Dalhousie University (NS)
Charles Powell , Dinkum HACCP Consulting (MB)
Leah Schatzline , Rich Products (ON)
Joy Shinn , BioFoodTech (PEI)
Aline Tezcucano , Manitoba Agriculture (MB)
Mehmet Tulbek , AGT Foods and Ingredients (SK)
Musleh Uddin , Albion Farms and Fisheries (BC)
Rickey Yada , University of British Columbia (BC)

The 2019 pilot Mentorship Program will wrap up at the end of May 2019.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
For a complete list of confirmed CIFST National and Section events, please visit the CIFST website and the Section-specific pages.

April 4 (ON)
Culinaria Restaurant, Mississauga, ON

April 25 (QC)
Place Forzani, Laval, QC

April 26 (ON)
Maple Leaf ThinkFOOD Centre, Mississauga, ON

May 22 to 24
The Westin Nova Scotian, Halifax, NS
CANADIAN FOOD SUMMIT 2019
Sponsorship and Exhibitor opportunities available

Detailed information about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities for the 2019 Canadian Food Summit are available on the CIFST website. The annual national conference of CIFST takes place May 22 to 24 in Halifax, NS .

A wide range of sponsorship opportunities each provide ample opportunity to network and build profile for your company over the course of the three-day event. Meanwhile, limited opportunities to register a table for the exhibition taking place on Thursday, May 23 are also available.
The theme of this year's event is Sustainable Innovation and programming sessions will be offered on a variety of topics including emerging ingredients ,  nutrition and health ,  food processing ,  consumer attitudes ,  global food security ,  food safety ,  sustainable food systems  and  food policy .

A complete program of sessions will be posted on the website soon. In the meantime, significantly discounted EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION fees for the this year's Canadian Food Summit are now available.
Signature