News

Dear All,

This email is to inform you that Health Canada will be hosting an all-day meeting with stakeholders and experts on front-of-package food (FOP) labelling on Monday, September 18th from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. In line with Health Canada’s commitment to open and transparent government, we are inviting you to attend via live streaming.  There will be a limited opportunity for online participants to submit questions to contribute to the discussion.

The goal of the meeting is to bring together experts, industry and health stakeholders to share and review the evidence related to FOP labelling, including the public health context, consumer research, and international experiences.

Health Canada will have a professionally facilitated discussion about FOP symbol options at the meeting. These discussions will help inform the development of the regulatory proposal for FOP.

Please find attached the draft agenda.

If you are interested in registering for this meeting, please click on the following link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/health-canadas-front-of-pack-labelling-stakeholder-engagement-meetingrencontre-de-mobilisation-des-tickets-37486066835
 
Please note that registration ends on September 13, 2017.

If you are interested in participating in future stakeholder engagement and consultations at Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, please feel free to register in the Consultation and Stakeholder Information Management System (CSIMS). You will receive an email notification when there is an upcoming engagement or consultation opportunity in the area(s) of interest you selected during registration.

It is with a heavy heart I pass along news of the passing of our colleague and dear friend Karen Catherwood.  Karen passed on September 5th just after 6:30 pm at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, BC.

Karen had been fighting to recover from a stroke, and multiple complications requiring continual kidney dialysis.  Karen's sister Sue was with her as her soul escaped.

Karen was a respected microbiologist always willing to share her knowledge.  She was a talented porcelain painter, cook/baker, gardener and floral arranger.  Karen loved a good joke or story and for those who worked closely with her, we will always remember her amazing laughter resounding through the building.

I have tried to forward this message along to many of her former colleagues at Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and some of her microbiology contacts for whom I have contact information.  Please share with those of your contacts particuarly those who would have know Karen through her work.  I will endeavour to provide further details of any service as available.

Sincerely,
Lance Hill

Date:  Monday September 11, 2017
Time:  1 – 4 pm
Place:  6839 Copper Cove Road, West Vancouver (Karen’s Home)
Finger food, tea, coffee, wine
For those planning on attending please RSVP to Susan Catherwood:
(scatherwood@emulogix.com)

Dear BCFPA Members,

We would like to thank you for attending our our Spring Spring Speaker's Evening held on Wednesday, May 31, 2017.

In our continued effort for improvement and to bring seminars and events that our interesting to our members, we ask that you take a few minutes to complete our Survey.

We also ask that those who did not attend also complete the Survey.

Click here to begin the Survey: https://drive.google.com/open?id=19ZxBF682RL_7H6VwtxgDm1Hm3cUWk3tNe2mn9D0EgXQ

We plan on organizing an event in the fall and would like your input. Please click on the survey and answer the questions, especially near the end. Your input on future topics and speakers are greatly appreciated!

Hello students,

I am just passing along some information regarding a student scholarship that may be of interest to you (or someone you know who is also a student)! Please pass along this to any student who may be interested in this, thank you!

This is the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA) student scholarship. It is a scholarship for students who have some experience working in a CALA lab.

Deadline: Aug 4, 2017

Details in the link below:
http://cala.ca/awards.html#scholarships

http://cala.ca/17student_award_nominations.pdf

Sous vide style cooking practices linked to Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses

Three Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses investigated in British Columbia, Canada, were potentially linked to consumption of sous vide style cooked foods in 2014. In two separate incidents on different days, two illnesses at one restaurant implicated sous vide eggs. The third illness was linked to a different restaurant serving sous vide duck breast. Inspections of the restaurants revealed inadequate sous vide cooking practices that did not fully cook the foods. Although other high-risk foods were also eaten at these premises (raw oysters and tuna in one restaurant, foods with raw egg dressing and mayonnaise in the second restaurant), and although no leftover foods were available for testing from these meals, the investigation suggested improper sous vide style cooking practices amplified the risk and were the most probable cause of illness.

Newly published article by one of our BCFPA members, Lorraine McIntyre!

http://pubs.ciphi.ca/doi/10.5864/d2017-014

Hi all,

The IAFP is having their Annual Meeting on July 9-12, 2017 in Tampa, FL, USA.

Registration and details are here: https://www.foodprotection.org/annualmeeting/

Hello fellow members,

I am pleased to share with you great news from our organization!

The British Columbia Food Protection Association have been selected to receive the 2017 Affiliate Education Award! Through the development and implementation of both a Spring and Fall Workshop (in 2016), we were able to attract a significant number of participants to educate them in current relevant matters in food safety.

Justin Falardeau, BCFPA Vice President, will attend the Affiliate Council Meeting in Tampa, Florida on Sunday July 9, 2017, to accept the award which consists of a mounted certificate.

I would like to thank all our members for your continuous support for the organization and all our volunteers and executives who have taken their free time to organize these successful events!

I hope to see you at our next event in the Fall.

Best Regards,

Stephanie Nadya
BCFPA President, 2017

To register and attend the IAFP Annual Meeting: https://www.foodprotection.org/annualmeeting/

Photos on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1284788501590115.1073741839.150100595058917&type=1&l=39c29dda50

Speaker Presentation - Biofilm in Food Production Environments

Speaker Presentation - Food Safety - A Chemical Company Perspective

3M Food Safety Symposium - June 23, 2017

Featuring:
Ken Davenport, Ph.D., MBA
Product Development Manager
3M Food Safety Department

Title of presentation: Preventing food safety failures - a multi-pronged approach to controlling raw materials, process, and the environment

Topics to be covered:
Preventing food safety failures - a multi-pronged approach to controlling raw materials, process, and the environment in which the product is made. Over the last few years, the control of the environment has become increasingly important as evidenced by numerous foodborne illnesses linked to failures in sanitation, repairs, and control of the food manufacturing environment. Environmental monitoring has emerged as one of the most important tools in preventing foodborne illnesses, but good actionable training on how to design an effective Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) has been lacking. This seminar will reinforce the importance of EMPs and provide some practical guidelines on how to establish and maintain an effective EMP.

Speaker bio:
Currently the Product Development Manager for the 3M Food Safety division in St. Paul, Minnesota, MN, and a highly praised expert in the industry, Dr.Ken Davenport has had a vast career in Biology and Food Safety. After obtaining his B.A in Chemistry and Biology from Spring Arbor University, Dr. Ken Davenport decided to further his education and obtained a MBA from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics from Rice University. Proceeding his educational accomplishments, Ken developed a strong career throughout the years, by fulfilling major roles such as Director of R&D at Quality Bioresources as well as Former Vice President of Technical Services at Biotrace International. Upon the acquisition of Biotrace By 3M In 2006, Dr. Davenport joined the 3M Food Safety Global Technical Support team, where he was able to further develop this division with his expertise and valuable knowledge obtained throughout his career.

REGISTER TODAY
https://engage.3m.com/symposium2017

Event Details:
3MSM Health Care Academy – Food Safety Symposium
Refreshments will be provided

Where:
Burnaby
Delta Burnaby Hotel & Conference Centre
4331 Dominion St,
Burnaby BC V5G 1C7
   
When:
June 23rd 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Presentations start at 9 a.m.

CIPHI 2017 Annual Education Conference

Date: November 5-7, 2017

Location: Richmond, BC

Call for Abstracts

Do you have ideas to share about current and emerging environmental public health issues? An innovative way to safeguard public health? Submit your abstract today
and connect with environmental public health professionals from all across Canada!

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO: June 9, 2017

http://ciphi2017.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CIPHI-AEC-2017-abstract-submission-form.pdf

Registration open: https://ciphi2017annualeducationconference.eventsmart.com/events/ciphi-2017-annual-education-conference/

Share your educational content on topics related to:

Air Quality
Built Environment
Communicable Disease & Infection Control
Drinking Water
Emergency Preparedness & Response
Food Safety
Indigenous Populations
Personal Services
Pest Management
Recreational Water

For more information about the conference:

Visit our website: http://ciphi2017.ca/

We will be contacting selected speakers by email by June 23, 2017