Food for Thought is a monthly, members-only e-newsletter from the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST).
PRESIDENTIAL FODDER
Once again this year, it is a pleasure to bring greetings to CIFST members as we head into the holiday season. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to say thank you for your tremendous support over the past 12 months as we have worked to make your membership experience as valuable as possible.

Looking towards the New Year, I'm extremely excited for all we have in store for you in 2019 beginning with a webinar that I'll be presenting on January 30 called Future of Plant Proteins – Utilization in Food and Beyond . Response to this first in a series of webinars has been fantastic and I'm very much looking forward to making this 45-minute presentation which is being offered free to CIFST members. See the link listed under EVENTS below to register.

Other things to keep an eye on in early 2019 include the call for presenters and abstracts for our national conference. Now called the Canadian Food Summit , you can see more details and a link to the submission site at the bottom of this issue of Food for Thought . And don't forget the pilot of our Mentorship Program . There is still time for young professional CIFST members to apply to be mentees in this year's program and most of our mentors now appear on the MENTORSHIP PROGRAM PAGE . Be sure to have a look at the impressive list.

Finally, a gentle remember that your 2018 CIFST membership expires on December 31. Don't be left out on some of the tremendous member benefits I've mentioned above; please renew your membership soon!

In the meantime, the brightest of holiday seasons to you and yours and all the best for a safe, happy and healthy New Year!

Warm regards,
Dr. Michael Nickerson
CIFST President
BITS & BITES
Manitoba members give back to the community during the holidays

In the spirit of the season, several members of the Manitoba Section of CIFST gave some of their time to WINNIPEG HARVEST , a central distribution centre serving food banks across Manitoba.

In the past year, Winnipeg Harvest has distributed over 11.4 million pounds of food to more than 400 food distribution agencies around the province of Manitoba, including food banks, soup kitchens and drop-in youth programs. According to the centre, hunger continues to be a widespread issue throughout the province with as many as 64,000 people accessing food banks each month.

Consisting of 17 volunteers, the CIFST Manitoba team spent a recent Saturday morning sorting potatoes, onions and cucumbers into boxes and bags to be weighed, packaged and labelled for distribution. CIFST Student members Seth Baker and Pamela Drawbridge (pictured) were among the volunteers.
January webinar free to members

The first in a series of educational webinars will be presented free to CIFST members on January 30. Future of Plant Proteins – Utilization in Food and Beyond will be presented by Dr. Mike Nickerson, University of Saskatchewan Professor and President of CIFST. For more information on this webinar, including the available non-member fee, see the link in the events listing below.
Still time to apply to be a mentee for Mentorship pilot

Expressions of interest to be a mentee in CIFST's 2019 pilot Mentorship Program can still be made by filling in a brief ONLINE SURVEY . All CIFST members 35 and under, currently working or looking for work in the food and beverage sector, are invited to participate. In the meantime, photos and bios of the list of mentors involved in the 2019 CIFST Mentorship Program are available for previewing online HERE .
Holiday office closure at CIFST National

The National offices of CIFST will be closed for the Holidays beginning on December 24. We will re-open for business on January 2nd at 9:00 am EST . During the closure, e-mail will be monitored in an effort to maintain the membership renewal process. However, we will not be in the office to answer your phone calls.

From all of us at the CIFST National office, we wish you a very happy holiday season and all the best for a bright and prosperous New Year!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
For a complete list of confirmed CIFST National and Section events, please visit the CIFST website and the Section-specific pages.

January 30
WEBINAR

February 27 (BC)
Delta Burnaby, Burnaby

May 22 to 24
The Westin Nova Scotian, Halifax, NS
CANADIAN FOOD SUMMIT 2019
Call for presenters and abstracts opens

Opportunities to make a presentation or to display a poster board at CIFST's 2019 national conference are now available. Renamed the Canadian Food Summit , the theme of next year's event is Sustainable Innovation .

Abstracts and proposals to be an official presenter at the 2019 Canadian Food Summit are wanted addressing relevant topics including emerging ingredients , nutrition and health , food processing , consumer attitudes , global food security , food safety , sustainable food systems, and food policy . All submissions will be considered and can be made ONLINE HERE .
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