Free webinar about allergen management guidelines

Don't miss out!

AQIA is delighted to offer this webinar to the food safety community on November 14, from 10:30 AM to noon.

Overview

Allergen management is a major issue for food processors. The declaration of allergens in pre-packaged foods is critical for allergic consumers (> 3 million in Canada), who must avoid them to prevent potentially severe reactions. Moreover, the presence of undeclared allergens is the leading cause of food recalls in Canada. This webinar will discuss the allergen management guidelines, the result of a collaboration funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's AgriInsurance program, and developed with the participation of food processors, allergic consumers, university researchers and health professionals. The open-access guidelines aim to help processors implement effective allergen control plans, including the responsible use of precautionary (“may contain”) labelling. The proposed approach is aligned with the latest recommendations of international experts in allergen risk management, is tailored to food processing operations, and aims to better meet the needs of allergic consumers. The dissemination of this resource is supported by the Canadian Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture, via MAPAQ's Bioalimentary Innovation program.

The speakers

Prof Samuel B. Godefroy, Ph.D.  Full Professor of Food Risk Analysis and Regulatory Policy, Department of Food Science, Université Laval, and researcher at the Institute for Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF).

Former Director General of Health Canada's Food Directorate and former Vice-Chair of the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, he directs the Platform for Risk Analysis and Regulatory Excellence in Food (PARERA) and chairs the Board of Directors of the Global Food Regulatory Science Society (GFoRSS). Samuel is also a strategic and operational advisor for food safety capacity-building initiatives

Silvia Dominguez, Ph. D.  Research professional under the supervision of Prof. Samuel B. Godefroy, at Université Laval and INAF.

She has a doctorate in Food Science from Rutgers University, USA and is currently a research professional at Université Laval's Platform For Risk Analysis and Regulatory Excellence in Food (PARERA). In this capacity, she manages research projects on allergens, chemical contaminants and food fraud, awareness-raising and training activities for the food industry, and capacity-building initiatives in food safety for competent authorities at international level.

Carla Da Silva.  Consultant at Food Allergies Canada.

Involved with Food Allergy Canada since 2013, Carla takes on various roles within the organization. In particular, she leads Francophone community efforts, including the website, social networks and resource translation. Carla also acts as program manager for newly diagnosed parents. In addition, she is the leader of the Allergies Montréal support group for local families. Carla has also worked on various advocacy efforts, including food labeling efforts, school allergy management policies and educational initiatives. Carla has first-hand experience with food allergy, as her 16-year-old son is allergic to wheat, dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and seafood. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a graduate of Concordia University.