AQIA's Symposium 2025 - 15th anniversary

15 Years of Innovation and Collaboration: A Look Back at the AQIA Symposium

The AQIA Board of Directors was delighted to bring together its members and other key players in the agri-food safety sector during the 2025 Symposium—a festive edition marking the association’s 15th anniversary.

We were honored to be hosted by ITAQ – Institut de technologie agroalimentaire du Québec, our 2025 event partner. This edition was also supported by INAF – Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, a long-standing AQIA partner in supporting our initiatives.

On September 18 and 19, 2025, AQIA celebrated its 15th anniversary in style with a Symposium under the theme “Food Safety and Autonomy: Strategies to Foster a Sustainable Future.” This flagship event brought together over 115 participants, 18 company booths, 22 scientific posters, and 5 FLASH presentations (180-second pitches) by graduate students—confirming AQIA’s central role as a catalyst for innovation and collaboration in the agri-food sector.

The event kicked off on September 18 with exclusive training sessions offered by ITAQ, followed by an immersive tour of its facilities. The opening cocktail, which gathered more than 60 participants, was an opportunity to recognize the outstanding contributions of dedicated members and unveil a photo retrospective of AQIA’s 15-year journey.

The Annual General Meeting also allowed for governance renewal and the addition of new board members, further strengthening the association’s vitality. Alongside the committee renewed in 2024, here is the 2025 Board:

  • President: Anny Lainesse, Exceldor
  • Vice-President: Pierre-André Roy, Sani Marc
  • Secretary: Delphine Sène, Olymel
  • Treasurer: Marie-Hélène Dufresne, Labplas
  • Development Committee Director: Khaled Abdallah, INAF, Université Laval
  • Past President: Anne-Marie Masella, Olymel
  • Honorary Member & IAFP Delegate: Julie Jean, INAF, Université Laval
  • Board Members: Cyril Roblet (Innodal), Jean-Philippe Songpadith (Eurofins), André Côté (Axcel SR), Catherine Leblanc (ITAQ), Stéphanie Goulet (Aliments Morehouse Canada)

On September 19, a series of inspiring conferences led by renowned experts addressed critical issues, including:

  • Timothy Jackson, Ph.D., US FDA – Trends and Challenges in Food Safety Regulations: Compliance Strategies (remote, in English)
  • Claude Vallée (ITAQ) – Overview of Greenhouse Production in Québec
  • Jean-Philippe Luna (E. Gagnon et fils) – Workforce Impact on Food Safety
  • Catherine Langevin (Bewist) – Food Safety: From Artisan to Mass Production in an Unstable Context
  • Sylvain Fournaise (Olymel) – Major Food Safety Challenges in Large Enterprises
  • Karine Berger (MAPAQ) – MAPAQ: A Key Ally in Managing Food Risk in Québec
  • Laurent Bazinet, Ph.D. (ULaval) – VITALE Chair: Food Safety at the Heart of Eco-Circular Valorization of Agri-Food By-Products
  • Julie Jean, Ph.D. – The Agri-Food Recruitment Crisis: Why Food Science Struggles to Attract in Québec
  • Sylvain Charlebois, Ph.D. – Retail Under Pressure: Food Safety and Trade in the Era of New Barriers

These presentations highlighted concrete solutions to strengthen Québec’s food autonomy while keeping safety at the core of practices.

The outcomes were clear: a friendly and strategic networking space, stronger partnerships, and a shared commitment to innovate for a sustainable future. Most participants expressed high satisfaction and wished the discussions could have continued.

Student Awards!

Congratulations to the five students who received scholarships for the quality of their presentations during the Symposium:

  • 1st Prize – Best FLASH Oral Presentation (180 seconds): Romain Canuel (supervised by Laurent Bazinet, INAF, Université Laval) – Scholarship offered by MAPAQ
  • 2nd Prize – Best FLASH Oral Presentation: Arthur Arnaout (supervised by Julie Jean, INAF, Université Laval) – Scholarship offered by INAF
  • 1st Prize – Best Poster Presentation: Gwenaëlle Verbrugghe (supervised by Julie Jean, INAF, Université Laval) – Scholarship offered by LABPLAS
  • 2nd Prize – Best Poster Presentation: Linda Amayele Sanka (supervised by Julie Jean and Caroline Duchaine, INAF, Université Laval) – Scholarship offered by Olymel
  • Special Public Choice Award: Amal Mamjoud (supervised by Ismail Fliss, INAF, Université Laval) – Scholarship offered by AQIA to mark its 15th anniversary

A special thank you to the event organizers and volunteers:
Catherine Leblanc and the ITAQ team (Martine Légaré, Rachel Aubé, Justin Veilleux, Fabien Servil), as well as Catherine Fontaine-Lavallée, Andrée Lagacé, Audrey Tremblay, and Marie-Pascale Gagné from INAF and AQIA. Your dedication and enthusiasm were invaluable!

Stay tuned: the 15-year retrospective, speaker presentations, and poster summaries will soon be available on our website.

Finally, thank you to all our partners and sponsors for making this memorable 15th-anniversary edition possible!

Bourses étudiantes !

Félicitations aux cinq étudiant·es qui ont reçu un prix sous forme de bourse pour la qualité de leur présentation lors du symposium.

  • 1er  prix pour la meilleure présentation orale FLASH (180 secondes) : Romain Canuel, sous la direction de Laurent Bazinet, INAF, Université Laval - une bourse offerte par le MAPAQ
  • 2e  prix pour la meilleure présentation orale FLASH (180 secondes) : Arthur Arnaout, sous la direction de Julie Jean, INAF, Université Laval - une bourse offerte par l'INAF
     
  • 1er  prix pour la meilleure présentation par affiche : Gwenaëlle Verbrugghe, sous la direction de Julie Jean, INAF, Université Laval - une bourse offerte par LABPLAS
  • 2e  prix pour la meilleure présentation par affiche : Linda Amayele Sanka, sous la direction de Julie Jean et Caroline Duchaine, INAF, Université Laval - une bourse offerte par OLYMEL
  • Annonce spéciale d'un prix pour l'affiche coup de cœur du public : Amal Mamjoud, sous la direction d'Ismail Fliss, INAF, Université Laval - une bourse offerte par l'AQIA pour souligner ses 15 ans !

🎓 Découvrez l’innovation en action !
Curieux de voir les idées qui façonnent l’avenir de l'innocuité dans l’agroalimentaire ? Plongez dans les résumés des affiches scientifiques réalisées par nos étudiant·es et explorez leurs projets inspirants.
👉 Consultez le PDF en cliquant ici !

Finalement, un merci tout spécial aux responsables de l’organisation de l’événement, supportés évidemment par le comité organisateur :

  • Catherine Leblanc ainsi que tous les bénévoles impliqués : Martine Légaré, Rachel Aubé, Justin Veilleux, Fabien Servil, de l'ITAQ. Votre bonne humeur et votre engagement nous ont été d'un grand soutien !
  • Catherine Fontaine-Lavallée (avant son congé de maternité mérité !), Andrée Lagacé, Audrey Tremblay et Marie-Pascale Gagné, coordonnatrices du symposium et coordonnatrice de l’AQIA respectivement, de l’INAF-Université Laval.

Merci à tous nos partenaires commanditaires d'avoir permis la réalisation d'une édition festive et appréciée pour souligner les 15 ans de l'AQIA !