BCFPA 2021 Annual General Meeting

BCFPA 2021 Virtual Annual General Meeting

Date: February 1, 2022
Time: 4:00-6:00 pm
Location: Zoom (Virtual)



Commissary Kitchens: The Fraser Health Experience

Speakers:
Stephanie Szeto, Environmental Health Officer, Fraser Health Authority, &
Connie Banting, Practice Consultant, Fraser Health Authority



Speaker Bios: Stephanie is an Environmental Health Officer for the Fraser Health Authority. She has over 15 years of field experience in the Burnaby Office. Connie is a Practice Consultant for the Fraser Health Authority, and is the lead for the food safety portfolio. She has a BSc in Biology, a BTech in Environmental Health, and is a certified Public Health Inspector with over 13 years of experience.


Investigation of cheese microbiome for the inhibition of L. monocytogenes growth in soft-ripened cheeses

Speaker:
Justin Falardeau
PhD in Food Science Candidate, University of British Columbia

Speaker Bio: Justin is a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia under the supervision of Dr. Siyun Wang. His research focuses on the cheese microbiome and how it affects the growth of contaminating foodborne pathogens. During his studies, Justin has held several major awards including the Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship and the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. He is an active member of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), and has been the President and Vice-President of the British Columbia Food Protection Association (BCFPA). Justin holds a B.Sc. in Food Science and Nutrition from Carleton University, where he was awarded the Senate Medal for Outstanding Academic Achievement, and a M.Sc. in Food Science from the University of British Columbia.

Summary: Soft-ripened cheeses (e.g., Camembert; SRC) provide a special risk for the growth of the Listeria monocytogenes due to favourable moisture and pH compared to other cheeses.  As a local example, two outbreaks of listeriosis, resulting in 130 cases of illness, were attributed to SRC in British Columbia in 2002.  The growth of L. monocytogenes is not uniform across SRC, however.  One possible explanation for these differences in L. monocytogenes growth is an interaction with the cheese microbiome, which can be influenced by the farm and processing environments.  Therefore, the objectives of my research were to: i) compare the growth of L. monocytogenes in various SRC, and ii) identify variations in the cheese microbiome that may predict the growth of L. monocytogenes. These results further our understanding of how the cheese microbiome affects L. monocytogenes growth, and will hopefully lead to the development of antilisterial cheese starter cultures that can prevent L. monocytogenes growth in SRC.

Event poster: click here

We highly encourage you to register, come and participate at our AGM. We have 2 speakers and opportunities to network and catch up with your fellow BCFPA colleagues and listen to your BCFPA board members as they go through the 2021 AGM Report and other business.

We will also be announcing the 2021 BCFPA Scholarship Award and BCFPA Award Recipients.

We are accepting nominations to run in our 2022 Executive Board. If you are interested in volunteering, please talk to us in person or send us an email! We are always looking for volunteers!

Click here to access the 2021 AGM Report.

Schedule:

4:00-4:05 pm - Opening Remarks
4:05-4:30 pm - 1st Speaker: Connie Banting & Stephanie Szeto, EHO, Fraser Health Authority, on Commissary Kitchens: The Fraser Health Experience
4:35-4:45 pm - Q&A
4:45-5:00 pm - AGM Business + Announcing BCFPA Awards & Scholarship Awards
5:00-5:25 pm - 2nd Speaker: Justin Falardeau, UBC, on Investigation of cheese microbiome for the inhibition of L. monocytogenes growth in soft-ripened cheeses
5:25-5:35 pm - Q&A
5:35-5:40 pm - Closing Remarks
5:40-6:00 pm - Networking (Optional)

For more information and to register, visit our website: https://www.bcfoodprotection.ca

Registrants are welcome to send in their questions to our webinar speakers ahead of time - you can email your questions to us at info@bcfoodprotection.ca or post your questions in the chat during our virtual Zoom webinar!