Looking into the future of the food and beverage industry in Canada
The Canadian Food & Wine Institute (CFWI) Innovation Centre, part of Niagara College’s Research & Innovation division, will bring together several big names in the food and beverage industry at the first annual Food & Beverage Innovation Summit on October 23 at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus.
Product developers, food innovators and business owners in the food space and cannabis industry will learn trendsetting concepts and forecasted trends from experts in relation to flavours, colours, and packaging. Attendees will also learn about strategies to de-risk new product introductions, taste modification, and exploring cannabis from a higher education perspective.
The one-day event will also feature one of the hottest topics of the day: the integration of cannabis into the food and beverage chain. In the second phase of legalization, cannabis-infused edibles gained legal status by Health Canada on October 17, one year after legalizing recreational marijuana in the country on the same date in 2018. Experts at the summit will focus on the integration of cannabis into the food and drink world, the trends, food safety and regulatory challenges in the edibles industry.
In September 2018, Niagara College launched the first postsecondary Commercial Cannabis Production program of its kind in Canada. In June of this year, NC’s Research & Innovation division received a hefty grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) to support the purchase of a cannabis product research space, outfitted with specialized equipment to support applied research trials for the cannabis industry.
The Food & Beverage Innovation Summit will include keynote speakers, expert panelists and interactive sessions, as well as tours of the research labs at the CFWI Innovation Centre, and the College’s Teaching Winery and Teaching Brewery. Its diverse audience will include food innovators, growers looking for new revenue streams, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food and beverage and cannabis industries.
“We are pleased to be collaborating with industry experts and innovators to drive growth and development in the food and beverage sector,” said Lyndon Ashton, centre manager, CFWI Innovation Centre. “The event is an opportunity for thought leaders, product developers, marketers, entrepreneurs, and innovators in the food and beverage sector to learn from each other and other world-renowned experts.”
Sponsors for the event include Food in Canada magazine, Invest Hamilton Niagara, Niagara Industrial Association, Food and Beverage Ontario, Two Sisters Vineyards, and Ontario Craft Brewers. Funding support is provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
For registration info and to view the event agenda visit www.ncinnovation.ca/blog/research-innovation/save-the-date-niagara-food-beverage-summit-on-oct-23
Niagara Food & Beverage Innovation Summit – speakers and panelists
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Christine Couvelier is a culinary executive, executive chef, and a global culinary technologist. With over 30 years of experience, this world-class chef and founder of Culinary Concierge, assists clients in the creation of award-winning food products, services and strategies that help them build their brands and keep them ahead of market trends. She was the first director of culinary strategy at Maple Leaf Foods, where she worked on the vision, design and construction of the ThinkFOOD! Centre. Her knowledge and extensive experience has long been sought after in the food industry.
Skyler Webb is the director of product development at Cannabistry, a professional research, development and branding company dedicated to bringing outstanding product innovations to legalized marijuana industries. His previous professional background includes positions in quality assurance, process engineering and research and development for various food and beverage companies where he acquired skills developing responsible and safe food products. Webb will focus on the integration of cannabis into the food world in preparation for legal status in Canada.
PANELISTS
Kimberley Stuck was the first cannabis specialist for a public health authority in the nation in Denver, Colorado. She has a bachelor’s degree in Human Nutrition/Biochem, is a Certified Professional in Food Safety (CP-FS), a Certified Quality Auditor (CQA), and is a leading expert in cannabis food safety. Stuck is the founder of Allay Consulting LLC, a consulting firm that helps the cannabis industry overcome.
Christopher Sayegh was among the first professional to enter the cannabis industry. Known as The Herbal Chef™, and the number #1 cannabis-infusion chef in the world, Sayegh pioneered Cannabis Infused Fine-Dining in an effort to elevate the perception of marijuana through mainstream media. He has been featured in every major news company around the world, including CNN, Fox News, CBS, GQ, Forbes and Fast Company.)
Nadine Farran-Gratti is the Canadian manager for FONA International, a company that develops and produces flavours for many of the largest food, beverage, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical companies in the world. A graduate of the University of Toronto (Business and Communications), Farran-Gratti has been working in the flavour industry for the past 19 years.
Mitin Rathod is an influential marketing, research and innovation professional with more than two decades of experience in helping organizations navigate through various business dilemmas. Rathod has led several ground-breaking initiatives leveraging user experience as a platform to create category-defining product and marketing executions; and his global experience includes large retailers such as Walmart, Baskin Robbins and Scotts Miracle-Gro.
Ana Cristina Vega Lugo, PhD, is the senior food scientist for the Canadian Food & Wine Institute Innovation Centre, part of the Research & Innovation division at Niagara College. A trained food engineer and scientist, she has a decade of experience in food science and commercialization, including in development, troubleshooting and applicable packaging science and technology. She is responsible for managing the research/student team and resources required for all product and process innovation, food safety analytical lab and label compliance services at the Centre.
Peter Crooks, a neuropharmacologist by education, brings more than 20 years of senior leadership experience in product and brand development across food & beverage, natural health products, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. In his role as the chief product innovation officer for Dosecann Cannabis Solutions, he applies his experience in design and development of a large portfolio of cannabis derivative products.
BREAKOUT SESSION PANELISTS
Alexandra Grygorczyk, PhD, is a research scientist in consumer insights at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre where she conducts sensory and consumer research and contract testing for the food and horticulture industries. She is a regular speaker at industry and scientific conferences and her work has been featured in major news outlets.
Amy Bowen, PhD, is the research director of consumer insights at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. She oversees the operation of Vineland’s trained sensory and consumer research panels to understand the drivers that impact consumer preference and choice for horticultural products. She leads a team of researchers to create value-added results to inform breeding programs, brand development, new variety introductions, and commercialization.
Bill MacDonald is a professor at Niagara College and coordinator of the newly created Commercial Cannabis Production program. His area of specialization is plant nutrition, but all aspects of controlled environment plant production has been a focus of his teaching, research and industry experience. Prior to teaching at Niagara College he was involved in the greenhouse industry for more than 25 years as an owner/grower/manager. He is also a faculty research lead for the Research & Innovation division, working on applied research projects.
Alan Unwin is associate dean for the School of Environmental and Horticultural Studies at Niagara College. Prior to joining the College in 1995 as a full-time faculty member, he worked as an environmental consultant for numerous years, both in the fields of waste management and ecological restoration. Through this work, Unwin has gained extensive international experience in Argentina, Ecuador, India, Sri Lanka, Jordan and Thailand.
Jason Mittelheuser began his career in 2009 at FONA International, an innovator that creates and produces flavors for many of the largest food and beverage companies in the world. Since that time, he has made significant contributions to the organization with research and innovation in taste modification. He is a faculty member of Flavor University, where he presents on areas including taste modification, performance nutrition, and dairy/dairy alternatives. Mittelheuser has a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Northern Illinois University.
Kaela Lewis is a senior product developer at Hela Spice Canada Inc. Her role at Hela Spice involves custom food product development for customers across the food industry, working on all aspects of development from functionality to flavour. As a food scientist, she specializes in development of bakery and dairy products. Over the last couple of years, she has shifted her developments to plant-based products. Lewis works very closely with clients to develop custom and innovative products, tailored to their needs.
Michael Vahabi is the technical sale support manager at Hela Spice Canada Inc., where he balances sales and product development, from formulation of products to being the technical authority in customer meetings. He recently joined Hela and brings with him many years of product development experience in areas from fresh prepared foods packaged under modified atmosphere, frozen meals, pastry, and sauces.
Peter McCourt, PhD, is a professor in the department of Cell and Systems Biology and the Canada Research Chair in Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Toronto. His research areas include biotechnology, chemical biology, developmental biology, functional genomics, genetics, molecular biology, plant biology and systems biology. McCourt has a doctorate in Plant Genetics from Michigan State University and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Whitehead Institute/MIT researching Arabidopsis genetics.
