Canadians haven’t been able to avoid the economic turmoil that’s plagued the rest of the world. As a result, staple prices remain high, including eggs and maple syrup. Even Girl Guide cookie prices are up 20%. And food fraud, which spiked during the pandemic, still plagues consumer favorites such as honey and olive oil. 

On the upside, some of the industry’s brightest rays of hope have emerged in Canada, too. Functional ingredients and foods have taken off, driving consumer interest and brand innovation. Home delivery remains popular, challenging legacy business models while presenting a promising path forward for innovators.

It’s in the exciting environment that after three years off, the Canadian Food Safety Summit, the country’s longest-running gathering of food and beverage professionals, returns as an in-person event from April 18-19 in Toronto.

 The 17th annual Canadian Food Safety Summit promises:

• A wealth of regulatory updates to inform attendees about the latest compliance changes.
• An evaluation of cutting-edge insights from other food safety and regulatory veterans working for a more sustainable business.
• Hear from the latest technology pioneers blazing the trail toward better food safety tactics.
• Connect with more than 10,000 of your peers in food safety and quality assurance.

Some of this year’s speakers include professionals from the private sector, such as Nestlé, Ocean Spray, and Pepsi, advocates from leading trade associations, and regulators from Canada and the United States.

Canadian Food Safety Summit session highlights

This year’s event launches with a presentation from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Jay Holmes. He’ll be discussing his agency’s modernization effort that seeks to:

• Create modern and agile food regulations.
• Introduce new pathways for innovative food.
• Communicate better with Canadians.

Renita McGuire, the food division program manager at NSF International, is scheduled for several breakout sessions. The first is a case study on global food safety that will offer an overview of the global outlook for food safety and the international regulatory landscape, among other things. The second session will take attendees deeper into the nascent field of environmental laws targeting food production and how brands can address consumer demands for sustainable manufacturing practices.

Other sessions will cover a broad range of topics, from Canada’s shifting regulatory landscape to the rise of plant-based proteins. 

Of course, the conference will include multiple sessions focused on food safety, whether building effective training programs for new and existing employees, leveraging technology to ensure compliance, and best practices for navigating less pleasant activities, such as inspections and recalls.

Crossing the border

But the summit isn’t limited to the Great White North. Mark Moorman, director of the office of food safety at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will be on hand to discuss the latest topics driving conversation among U.S. regulators, such as:

• How whole genome sequencing has transformed CDC and FDA disease attribution capabilities. And how this new approach can drive better detection and prevent outbreaks.
• How the FDA is developing prevention strategies for food categories with recurrent attribution to disease.
• The FDA’s renewed focus on root cause analysis following foodborne illness outbreaks.

Come see us.

TraceGains is an exhibiting sponsor at this year’s Canadian Food Safety Summit, so stop by and see us at booth No. 5. We’ll be talking with attendees about food safety, transparency, and how we can make life easier for everyone at your organization, whether you’re in the regulatory or department or walking the plant floor ensuring you put out the safest products. So, we’ll see you there.