Pamela MacDonald began her career with the government at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in 2001. She’s had the opportunity to work on many high visibility teams and projects, such as the Inspection Modernization Officer, Operations Modernization Project Office, and leads the team responsible for transitioning the Meat Program over to the Standard Inspection Procedure. In addition to these projects, Pamela has gained experience in the inspection space through roles as a Food Safety Specialist, Inspection Manager, and Director of Operations for North eastern Ontario. Currently, Pamela is the Senior Director for Ontario Operations. In this role, she has oversight of the inspection program delivery in terms of issues management, planning and delivery, as well as quality and consistency of inspections. Pamela and her team are working to build a collaborative relationship with external stakeholders, such as industry representatives and other government departments, in order to bring consistency and predictability to the regulatory and service activities the Ontario inspectors perform.
Day 1: Dec 2, 2025
3:30 pm
KEYNOTE
Safeguarding Canada’s Food System Amid Shifting U.S. Priorities and Trade Slowdown
As the United States shifts focus away from food regulation, Canada faces new challenges in ensuring food safety and trade stability. With cross-border food trade decreasing, the CFIA is stepping forward to protect public health, support domestic industry, and uphold global standards. Master the success factors to:
- Assess the implications of a deprioritized FDA on Canada’s import controls, inspection regimes, and risk assessments, and understand how Canada is adapting regulatory oversight in response to weakened U.S. collaboration and declining trade volume.
- Strengthen internal food systems to reinforce domestic resilience and consumer confidence.
- Explore opportunities for Canada to lead globally in science-based food regulation and innovation.
Amplify Canada’s leadership in food safety and trade resilience to reinforce domestic oversight and global credibility.
Day 2: Dec 3, 2025
