The Partnerships
Together with the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST), CFIN co-hosted the first-ever in-person edition of CIFST ALT in 2022 at the Delta Toronto Airport Hotel and Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The event is an innovation showcase of alternative food products, alternative technologies, and alternative approaches to how the food industry produces and distributes products to end users.
CIFST ALT made its debut in 2021 as a virtual event and was so successful that it transitioned to an in-person showcase in September 2022.
CFIN played a key role in helping CIFST organize and host this unique, live event for the first time, which focused on giving food sector suppliers and innovators the opportunity to promote their brands in short, 15-minute TED Talk-style presentations.
Remote or virtual work became the norm during the pandemic years, but the absence of face-to-face interaction – whether in the office or at conferences or events – had a significant impact on collaboration, brainstorming, and networking. CFIN’s founding CEO, Joe Lake provided the keynote address, where he shared how CFIN addressed this challenge internally and what the organization learned about fostering innovation and collaboration in virtual environments.
Also, CFIN’s Dana McCauley moderated a panel of experts discussing precision fermentation and cellular food technologies and their ability to replace imported food ingredients with homegrown products.
Companies Supported
Seven cutting edge Canadian suppliers of alternative ingredients and processes were given the opportunity to present their innovations and promote their brands to event participants. These included: Griffith Foods, Lovingly Made Ingredients, Bell Flavour Fragrances, National Sunflower Association, Dempsey Food, Barentz, and Owl Solutions.
More than 100 participants from across the Canadian food industry participated in the event.
Market Adoption/ Global Opportunity
The search for tools, technologies, and ingredients to support a more sustainable food system is happening around the world. The future of food depends on new ways of doing tasks humans have been doing for millennia – growing, preparing and eating food.
Canada is a world leader in plant-based proteins and supporting the development of cellular food, making innovative companies in these fields with creative approaches ready for both domestic and international opportunities.