Niagara College’s Ana Cristina Vega-Lugo, PhD, senior food scientist with the Canadian Food & Wine Institute (CFWI) Innovation Centre, part of the award-winning Research & Innovation division, was a guest speaker at the 10th Annual Food Regulatory & Quality Assurance Summit. The event was held in October in Toronto.
Vega-Lugo was an expert on the panel: Managing Regulatory and Business Driver to Improve Innovation and Competitiveness. Registrants of the panel learned how to identify and manage compliance drivers; maintain GFSI programs with limited resources; leverage consumer insights and trends to create value; resolve challenges in global food supply and distribution; and capitalize on emerging trends to improve core business goals.
The summit was a chance for experts and professionals from across North America to navigate the regulatory landscape; prepare for Canada’s biggest food regulations in 20+ years; adapt to compliance audits to avoid penalties and drive food industry innovation and benefit from growth opportunities.
Presentations from the FDA and Global Affairs Canada offered insight into the trade negotiations that are shaping the industry in both the United States and Canada.
Event goers were also able to meet with top government industry leaders to be prepared for how provincial and federal food regulations can impact businesses in areas such as food manufacturing, chain restaurants and wholesalers.
