A Food, Beverage, Bio and Ag Sector Event

According to the 2019 research paper, The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste, approximately 35.5 million tonnes of food, is wasted annually where 32% or 11.2 million tonnes of that food is edible and could be redirected. Product shelf-life has an impact on the quantity of waste produced. Although the shelf-life of some products is determined by spoilage, in some cases it is quality deterioration that determines shelf life. By determining the mode of shelf-life failure and testing relevant parameters to support good decision-making, shelf life can sometimes be extended. This can prevent food waste, alleviate production, and supply chain pressures. We will discuss how the team at Conestoga College's Food Research & Innovation Lab conducts shelf-life studies to provide data-driven results, enabling our industry partners to make informed decisions. As well, we will discuss sustainability efforts at Conestoga College’s Bloom restaurant in Waterloo.

About our Speaker Nicole Detlor is the Director, Food Research and Innovation Lab at Conestoga College. She has a leadership role in cultivating new and existing relationships between the food industry and Conestoga College. Nicole has 20 years of technical and leadership experience in new product development, innovation, quality assurance and regulatory affairs in the food industry. She has a breadth of industry experience in bakery, meat and thermal processing across retail, food service and ingredient sectors. Nicole holds a Master of Science degree in Biological Engineering from University of Guelph and is a Professional Engineer.