Ms. Maxwell, Senior Principal Regulatory Scientist in Corporate Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. brings expertise in global finished foods labelling and claims as well as additives and flavours. Prior to Ocean Spray, she led the Scientific and Regulatory Affairs management function at Nestle USA responsible for all the retail/food service brands from Solon, OH R&D facility. Her employment history also includes Director-level global regulatory compliance group management at Cargill, Inc. Wild Flavors, Inc., McCormick & Company and Givaudan where she describes her role as managing, motivating, coordinating and influencing multi-disciplinary functions to accomplish strategic business goals, anticipating regulatory obstacles/emerging issues throughout the product lifecycle and developing solutions with other technical/commercial teams across global geographies.
Kevin is the Senior Director for the Ontario Area of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency where he oversees the delivery of the Agency’s inspection programs in Ontario as well as the Area’s Enforcement and Investigation Services. He earned his Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees in biochemistry and microbiology from the University of Guelph and has spent the past 16 years working for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Beginning as a food inspector in 2002, Kevin has worked in various inspection and management roles within the Agency’s Operations Branch. Recently, Kevin has also been tasked with implementing the Agency’s new electronic export certification system.
Before assuming the position of President and CEO of CAPI, Dr. Buckingham acted as the Chairperson of the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal, a private lawyer, government lawyer, law professor, author and consultant in the areas of agricultural law, food law and international trade in agricultural products. Passionate about the various aspects of agriculture and food since growing up on the family farm in Saskatchewan, Dr. Buckingham has since pursued his food and agriculture interests in a variety of professional contexts and geographic locations. He is the co-author of five books, including Agriculture Law in Canada (Butterworths: 1999), and is the sole author of Halsbury's Laws of Canada: "Agriculture" volume and "Food" volume (LexisNexis: 2009 and 2014), as well as an extensive array of chapters and entries in other books and academic journals. Born in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, he and his family have resided in Ottawa for the past two decades.
Dhirendra P. Thakur, Ph.D., is the Quality Assurance Manager at Tasty Selections, Concord, ON, Canada. Dr. Thakur has extensive experience in developing and improving food safety management system. In his role, he is responsible for managing food safety and sanitation programs of the company in accordance with the BRC Food Safety Standard. He also oversees the company’s policies and programs for regulatory compliance and ensures all aspects of operations remain fully compliant with the government regulations. He started his career as a Food Scientist at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand, and has published over 20 research papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Dr. Thakur has successfully completed outreach programs funded by the EU and USAID on an adaptation of best management practices for shrimp industry in Thailand. He has implemented multi-partners externally funded projects in India, Thailand, Japan, China, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Australia in collaboration with academic institutions, government agencies and food industry. He has participated in a number of FAO consultations for developing guidelines for farm level certification.
Cameron is a highly experienced food safety and management consultant with over 35 years of experience in food regulatory programs and the food industry in both the US and Canada. He also has extensive international experience having been active in Codex Alimentarius, WTO and SPS committees. Cameron has participated in and led many technical trade negotiations regarding market access for food and agricultural products. Mr. Prince most recently held the most senior executive position at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) as Vice President of Operations. He also led the Food Safety Modernization initiative now underway in Canada under the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA).
Dana McCauley has a nose for the new and throughout her career she has combined her interest in food with keen insights on global food trends. As a result, Dana developed a knack for bringing profitable concepts that fulfill unmet consumer needs to market and her resume includes successful launches working with international food companies, entrepreneurs and SME’s alike.
Dana has led innovation at the executive level at several large Canadian food manufacturing companies. Dana was also the founding Executive Director for Food Starter, a food business incubator and accelerator. Under Dana’s leadership, Food Starter clients launched over 80 product lines and created +160 food sector jobs and the organization itself was recognized with a Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence!
As Associate Director of New Venture Creation in the Research Innovation Office at the University of Guelph, Dana’s team enables Canada's smartest agri-food minds to transform their insights into commercial value that grows the economy and enhances Canada's international reputation as a place where great ideas and safe food are abundant.
Dr. García-Bailo is Director of Research and Development at Nutrigenomix Inc. and Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto. She received her Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and completed a joint industrial/academic postdoctoral fellowship at General Mills and the University of Toronto, followed by an appointment as Senior Scientist at the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition at General Mills. In addition to her work at the University of Toronto and General Mills, Dr. García-Bailo has conducted nutrigenomics and epidemiology research at Tufts University and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Her research interests focus on the relationship between genetic and lifestyle variation, diet and health. She has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles and has given invited talks at scientific conferences, government agencies and research organizations worldwide. Dr. García-Bailo has received several awards for her research work, including the 2014 Canadian Nutrition Society Ph.D. Dissertation Research Award and the 2012 American Society for Nutrition Nutritional Sciences Council Research Award
Shaibaal Roy, B. Eng is a Mechanical Engineer with over 30 years of experience with Steam and Condensate Systems. His experience covers a wide variety of steam applications right from designing efficient and safe systems, auditing existing systems as well as projects for upgrading systems. Shaibaal is a Certified Energy Manager as well as a USDOE Qualified Steam Specialist. Till recently, he was Technical Director for Spirax Sarco Canada before taking over as Vice President, Sales a couple of months ago.
As a food-centric home economist who grew up on a dairy farm, Mary Ann Binnie has worked her entire career in agriculture promoting wholesome, nutrient-rich foods. Mary Ann has over 25 years’ experience consulting to the Canadian agri-food industry on numerous nutrition and health policy initiatives; most recently Health Canada’s Healthy Eating Strategy. Mary Ann has chaired national and international Committees including the Canadian Meat Science Association and the International Meat Secretariat’s Nutrition Committee. She is a graduate of the University of Guelph and lives in London, Ontario.
Dr. Ana Cristina Vega Lugo is the Senior Food Scientist for the Canadian Food & Wine Institution Innovation Centre, part of the Research & Innovation Division at the College. Ana Cristina 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, and other technical service and applied research activities. A trained food engineer and scientist with a PhD degree in food science, Ana Cristina has 10 years’ experience in food science and commercialization, including in development, troubleshooting and applicable packaging science and technology. Her most recent position was with Hela Spice Canada as a senior product developer.
M. Saqib Javaid (a.k.a Saqib) is currently employed as a Director Quality Management Systems Nutrablend Foods USA/Canada since 2011, Saqib holds a Master’s of Science degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln NE USA, educated, trained, certified and experienced in wide array of technical and management systems in Quality, R&D, Regulatory, and Lab Management. His work history includes over 15 years in a wide array of food products and processes having experience with most modern technologies that exist in food manufacturing industry.
A highly qualified professional with over 18 years of experience in the food industry and a reputation as a subject matter expert in the areas of Food Safety, Quality and Sanitation. She has a master degree in food science engineering and she is highly skilled in Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Standards - Implementation and auditing, HACCP, Ingredient & Nutrition labelling.
Claudio Gallottini is a DVM, with a Ph.D in Veterinary Science and three specialization course in Inspection of Food of Animals Origin, Animals Health and Animals productions, and the last one in Animal breedings. He work with ITA Corporation a North American consulting company based in Miami (Florida) part of a global food safety consulting network called ITA Group, with a Canadian partner ITA Group Inc., specilized in Inspection, Training and Auditing in mandatory internationsl regulations, based in Montreal. ITA Group work in support of Food Importers to check the foreign suppliers conformity to SFCR. Claudio Gallottini is an International speaker in different International conferences like IAFP Annual conference in US, IAFP European Symposium, Dubai DIFSC, China CIFSQ, etc.. Untill 2016 he started a personal qualification about FSMA and US regulations and right now, is a FSPCA ToT for PCHF Rule, FSPCA LI for PCHF, PCAF, FSVP; for the SSA is a LI; for PSA is a TTT; is an IHA and SHA TTT; is a BPCS Trainer approved by FDA; is a SOT ToT. In 2018 become a FSMA Regulatory Auditor for the EU Countries.
Jim Huysentruyt is InformaTrac’s VP of Sales and Integration Services. InformaTrac, a leading provider of software and engineering services, is an Ashton Potter Gold Tier Integration Partner. Jim leads Sales and Integration of Ashton Potter’s ProLinc Security Software offering bringing more than 30 years’ experience in implementing quality and pedigree tracking software specializing in integrating plant floor systems to enterprise wide solutions in process and discreet manufacturing.
Jim started out in canneries in central California and since has worked with several companies to upgrade their technologies interfacing to all aspects of the business. He has since implemented MES and tracking systems all over North America and is an advocate of IOT and Industry 4.0.
Mark McInnes is the Technical Director at OptiSolve, where he is responsible for overseeing Research and Development of the OptiSolve Pathfinder imaging system. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master of Science in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Trent University. He has also completed the Queens University’s post-graduate Infection Prevention and Control program.
He has extensive knowledge of sanitation chemicals, processes and environmental surface verification from his former work as a Research Chemist specializing in hard surface cleaning and disinfection, food plant sanitation and infection prevention and control.
He is the recipient of research funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and most recently the Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP). In partnership with the University of Toronto (UofT), his current research focus is on optical speciation techniques through applied genomics.
Chris serves on the Scientific Review Committee and Board of Directors for the Canadian Federation of Dietetic Research, and previously served on the Canadian Advisory Council the International Life Sciences Institute – North America.
Manasi Koushik is currently VP of Systems Operations and Compliance at RiskCheck, a leading Canadian Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Risk Management Company. Manasi has over 18 years of (EHS) compliance experience serving a wide variety of sectors, including the food manufacturing and distribution industry.
Manasi has guided clients on the successful implementation of ISO9001, ISO14001 and ISO50001 management systems to realize cost efficiencies and reductions. As a certified compliance auditor with the Auditing Association of Canada, Manasi has assisted numerous clients with effectively managing their EHS compliance risks through risk identification and program development. With her experience working within the food industry, Manasi has successfully aligned food safety requirements with EHS regulatory requirements for many clients, ensuring a cohesiveness between the two compliance areas
Renata McGuire is responsible for providing food safety consulting services and for developing, maintaining and upgrading the resource materials and consulting tools used for NSF International consulting projects. She is part of the NSF Global Centre of Excellence in Food Fraud and has led the development of the vulnerability assessment model that supports companies both large and small in their food fraud programs. Her current role as Associate Manager, Consulting and Technical Services focuses on global supplier assurance programs and she is an instructor for the FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food.
Renata has also helped numerous companies achieve HACCP and certify to GFSI benchmarked standards. Her background is in toxicology and she has over 17 years of food safety experience, managing vendor audit programs, implementing a variety of HACCP and food safety programs and managing product testing functions.
Anal Dave currently works as a Director of Food Safety & Quality for The Original Cakerie, a subsidiary of Dessert Holdings, Premium desserts manufacturer in North America, located in Canada and USA. Dessert holdings is an organization that produces irresistible desserts with homemade taste for foodservice and retail customers across Canada, the USA and other markets.
Jose is the Senior Director of Quality Assurance department for Dessert Holdings, Premium desserts manufacturer in North America, located in Canada and USA. Dessert holdings is an organization that produces irresistible desserts with homemade taste for foodservice and retail customers across Canada, the USA and other markets.
Joseph R. Darden works as Vice President, Food Safety & Quality for Mastronardi Produce. In addition to overseeing corporate food safety and quality programs, he also oversees microbiology, post-harvest, organics, facility licensing, phytosanitary & import permit programs. Joseph serves as liaison to Mastronardi Produce for government & regulatory affairs. He also is a member of the Executive Management Team. Joseph championed Mastronardi’s achievement of the 2010 Food Quality Award. Prior to working for Mastronardi Produce, Joseph worked in the pork manufacturing, chicken manufacturing, and animal breeding industries. Joseph achieved a Ph.D. and Master of Science degrees from The University of Georgia-Athens, and a Bachelor of Science from North Carolina State University-Raleigh. Joseph is the proud father of two grown children and is also a grandpa. He enjoys investing, reading, writing, gardening and exercising in his spare time.