Food for Thought is a monthly, members-only e-newsletter from the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST).

PRESIDENTIAL FODDER I'm pleased to report that response to our call for mentors to participate in our 2019 Mentorship Program was fantastic. We had a feeling this would be the case after the feedback we received when we first unveiled some of the details of the program here in Food for Thought back in the summer. Almost immediately, CIFST members from across Canada began to contact the National office expressing their interest in getting involved. That buzz has continued through the call for mentors and now that we're ready to begin to reveal our mentor line-up for 2019, we couldn't be more excited. Over the next several weeks, as we move towards the holiday season and the end of the year, you'll begin to see mentor names, photos and profiles appear on the CIFST MENTORSHIP PROGRAM PAGE . These are the people who have generously committed their time to sharing knowledge and information with young professionals working in the industry. The next step in the process is to solicit interest from young professional members of CIFST hoping to take part in the program as mentees. We are now looking for those aged 35 and under currently working or looking for work in the food and beverage sector. For more information, read the first story in Bits & Bites below. Or, feel free to get in touch with the National office if you would like to take part. Remember, our 2019 Mentorship Program is members only, so don't forget to renew your membership as soon as possible! Warm regards,

Dr. Michael Nickerson CIFST President

BITS & BITES

Mentor gallery opens; seeking young professional mentees Photos and bios of mentors taking part in the 2019 CIFST Mentorship Program are now starting to appear online. Be sure to watch the MENTORSHIP PAGE as more and more mentors are added in advance of the official program launch in the new year. In the meantime, CIFST members 35 and under interested in taking part in the program as mentees are invited to submit expressions of interest for consideration. Expressions of interest to be a mentee in the 2019 Mentorship Program can be made by filling in a brief survey that can be found by CLICKING HERE .

CIFST Membership renewal continues A first notice about CIFST membership renewal has been electronically distributed to all current members. Since then, many of you have already made payments on your 2019 dues. Thank you! Please note, regular reminders will be sent to you in the weeks leading up to the holiday season. In the meantime, if you would like to pay for your 2019 CIFST membership fees, simply click HERE and log into your member profile where you can submit payment online.

Plant protein webinar, January 30 On January 30, the first in a series of 2019 CIFST webinars will be presented free to members. Entitled Future of Plant Proteins - Utilization in Food and Beyond , the webinar will be presented by CIFST's own president, Dr. Mike Nickerson, University of Saskatchewan Professor and Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Research Chair. For more information on this webinar, including non-member fees, see the link in the events listing below.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! For a complete list of confirmed CIFST National and Section events, please visit the CIFST website and the Section-specific pages. December 15 (MB) Volunteer for the Holidays! Harvest Winnipeg, Winnipeg January 30 Future of Plant Proteins - Utilization in Food and Beyond WEBINAR February 27 (BC) Annual Suppliers Night Delta Burnaby, Burnaby May 22 to 24 CIFST 2019 National Conference The Westin Nova Scotian, Halifax, NS

2019 NATIONAL CONFERENCE All roads lead to Halifax in 2019 In case you haven't already heard, CIFST's 2019 National Conference will take place in Halifax, NS on Canada's east coast. Mark your calendars for May 22 to 24, 2019 and plan to be in beautiful Nova Scotia for the best in industry education, information sharing and networking. The 2019 conference theme and programming information will be announced shortly and monthly conference updates will appear here in Food for Thought and the CIFST website will be updated regularly with the most current conference information.

‌ ‌