Food for Thought is a monthly, members-only e-newsletter from the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST).
PRESIDENTIAL FODDER
Time certainly flies by when we are busy and having fun, as CIFST National and our active sections BCFT, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec have experienced so far this Fall. I hope you have had a chance to connect with your fellow members virtually or in person.

A big thank you and shout out goes to the Manitoba Section for allowing me to “Zoom” into their Manitoba Mixer in late October to summarize CIFST’s Practical Vision of our Strategic Plan for their attendees.

CIFST Ontario Section and CIFST national recently co-hosted the very first CIFST INTERFACE professional development event with concurrent Procurement and Supply Chain (Bar code technology), Food Waste, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Initiatives, Food Fraud and the Future of Food sessions and discussion panels. These sessions were held in the morning preceding the Ontario Section Tabletop Suppliers’ Night. It was a busy day exploring the tradeshow floor, saying hello to the exhibitors and a bonus was getting the chance to catch up with Toronto Metropolitan University alumni in the industry!

BCFT just hosted a Chocolate and Wine Pairing event and Quebec Section their Soirée Vins et Fromages. Both sections are also in the planning stages of their Suppliers’ Night events with the potential for co-located events with CIFST national. Manitoba just hosted another successful Food Safety Training event and is getting ready for some holiday season volunteering.

Your CIFST Board of Directors has also been busy working on programming and plans to support our Strategic Plan. I am very excited that board member Marcia English of St. Francis Xavier University has been appointed President-Elect of CIFST and will step into a role as Section Advisory Council Liaison – congratulations Marcia! Also, board member John Keogh of McGill University has stepped forward to be appointed Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) Liaison in addition to his role as an SAP member – kudos and thank you for your service John!

Now that Thanksgiving, clock changes to end Daylight Savings (except in Saskatchewan), reflections for Remembrance Day and Diwali celebrations are behind us and Hanukkah is to come, another membership year for CIFST will be winding up. To those of you who have already renewed your membership or joined an educational institute bulk student membership, a big thank you for your continued support and commitment! I encourage our members to mark your calendars to renew your membership so that you can continue to benefit from our members-only programming and e-mail newsletters. Do also check out our LinkedIn, X, Threads and Instagram pages for news and announcements including the student member Social media “Takeover” events.

As you can see, it is already proving to be a busy and rewarding year as your CIFST volunteers across Canada work to support the professional development of professional, associate, student and emeritus members; build partnerships; and work to increase the visibility of the Institute and the expertise of our members. We continue to work to ensure the sustainability of the Institute now and in the future.

We hope to learn about the outcome of our AAFC Food Cluster application in relation to the support of innovation and sustainability in the food industry in the near future. As well, Sections and CIFST national will continue to bring networking and professional development programming, and professional recognition opportunities to our membership.

In closing, I hope you continue to find professional development, community, representation and support amongst your fellow CIFST members and benefit and grow from your involvement and volunteerism.

Happy Winter celebrations (Hanukkah, first day of Winter, Christmas, Kwanzaa) to you all as you gather with friends, colleagues, family and neighbours in community,
Yvonne Yuan
President - Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 2024
CIFST has developed an Annual Corporate Sponsorship program that supports CIFST and creates value for our sponsor partners. We hope you will consider investing in the association's future which will ultimately benefit the food science profession.

For more information about the three different corporate sponsorship levels, the one academic sponsorship (exclusive to academic institutions) and the activations included, click on the button below.
CIFST Job Posting Service:

Let us help you make the connection through our Job Postings web page. Postings are for 30 days. In addition to our website, we also will be promoting via our weekly newsletter DIRECTIONS. It's FREE for CIFST members ($250 fee for non-members)

Register for this service by clicking HERE.

CIFST Member Resume Service:

Are you just starting out and seeking your first job after school?
Are you making a career change and want to promote your availability to employers in the sector?

Register for this service by clicking HERE. It's FREE for CIFST members!
SECTION EVENTS
CIFST Student Committee:
  • December 5, 2023: Student Fall Networking Event, Virtual event through ZOOM, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM (PST). Register HERE.

BCFT:
  • February 28, 2024: BCFT Suppliers' Night, Delta Hotels by Marriott Burnaby (Conference Center), Burnaby, 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM (PST). Register HERE.

Manitoba Section:
  • December 7, 2023: Made in Manitoba 2023. SAVE THE DATE!
  • December 7, 2023: CIFST Manitoba Holiday Volunteering 2023. Register HERE. Please RSVP by December 7, 2023.

Quebec Section:
  • May 2, 2024: ICSTA Section Québec Supplier’s Night, Terrebonne, Québec. SAVE THE DATE!
Exclusive Platinum Sponsor for 2024