Food for Thought is a monthly, members-only e-newsletter from the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST).
PRESIDENTIAL FODDER
Welcome to 2019!

And welcome to what promises to be another great year of professional development, education and networking with the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology. There is so much going on, I couldn't possibly mention it all here. But as you will see simply scrolling through this issue of Food For Thought , the New Year has begun with a flurry of activity.

Up first is the initial of a series of webinars being offered this year free to members. I'm pleased to be presenting Future of Plant Proteins – Utilization in Food and Beyond on January 30 and I'm excited there are already 125 people registered to login to listen to yours truly. There's still time to take part if you haven't already signed up. You can find the event link a little further down.

Elsewhere, the pilot of our Mentorship Program is set to launch in just a couple short weeks. I'm proud to be counted among the 25 mentors for this inaugural initiative. Be sure to have a look at our MENTORSHIP PAGE to check out the impressive array of food and beverage industry leaders who have stepped up to lend their experience and expertise to the program and to young CIFST professionals.

Meanwhile, things are definitely starting to take shape with the 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. Keynote speakers and other presenters will be announced as they are confirmed. In fact, read below for a couple details on our first big announcement.

Before I go, a reminder not to forget about your 2019 membership fees. All unpaid fees are now past due and will lapse on February 28th. Don't be left behind; be sure to renew your membership as soon as possible.

As always, we appreciate your valued support!

Warm regards,
Dr. Michael Nickerson
CIFST President
BITS & BITES
Membership fees for 2019 are now overdue

If you've already renewed your CIFST membership fees for 2019, thank you!

Notices began to go out in November reminding members about the year-end renewal date and past due reminders will be sent to outstanding members until the end of February. At that time, all unpaid members will be dropped and an administrative fee will be applied in order to reactivate membership. Don't let this happen to you!

If you have any questions about the membership renewal process or if you experience any issues online, please contact the National office.
The French is coming (finally)!

When the CIFST website was redesigned and relaunched in early 2018, our French content was unfortunately sacrificed for the sake of expediency and in an effort to simplify the process. With a year to work some of the kinks out, we are pleased to report that is about to change. French content is coming to cifst.ca !

Beginning in February, content for our Francophone and French-speaking members and friends will begin to appear on the CIFST website allowing people to toggle back and forth between English and French pages. We appreciate your patience while we worked to make this happen. Merci!
Final call for Mentorship pilot program

Despite its launch in just two short weeks, there is still an opportunity to participate in CIFST's 2019 pilot Mentorship Program as a mentee. Any member 35 and under and currently working or looking for work in the food and beverage sector, is invited to fill in a brief ONLINE SURVEY as an expression of interest. Mentees will be finalized in the next week. In the meantime, photos and bios of our 2019 mentors are available for HERE .

The pilot of CIFST's Mentorship Program officially launches on February 12.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
For a complete list of confirmed CIFST National and Section events, please visit the CIFST website and the Section-specific pages.

February 12 (MB)
Manitoba Agriculture & Animal Industry Bldg., Winnipeg, MB

February 27 (BC)
Delta Burnaby, Burnaby

April 25 (QC)
Place Forzani, Laval, QC

May 22 to 24
The Westin Nova Scotian, Halifax, NS
CANADIAN FOOD SUMMIT 2019
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois to speak on May 23

Well-known food commentator Sylvain Charlebois has been confirmed as the opening keynote speaker at the 2019 Canadian Food Summit in Halifax, Nova Scotia, May 22 to 24. Dr. Charlebois is Professor, Food Distribution and Policy at Dalhousie University as well as a regular contributor to the Globe & Mail and other publications.

Opportunities to make presentations or to display poster boards at CIFST's national conference remain. Renamed the Canadian Food Summit for 2019, the theme of this year's event is Sustainable Innovation .

Abstracts and proposals to be an official presenter 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 .

Meanwhile, sponsorship opportunities for the 2019 Canadian Food Summit are now available on the CIFST WEBSITE and information for exhibitors is coming soon. Watch this space and the website for the latest updates!
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