Third Workshop on Food Allergen Methodologies

March 7-9, 2005
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Food Allergy is an on-going public health problem and continues to be a challenge to both the clinical community and the food industry. Health Canada, through its Food Program and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have been proactive in developing risk assessment and risk management procedures related to inadvertent consumption of allergenic ingredients by vulnerable consumers.

The Allergen Method Committee (AMC), jointly created by Health Canada's Food Directorate and the CFIA , along with the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program (FARRP) from the University of Nebraska, U.S.A. are co-organizing a third workshop on food allergen methodologies to take place in Vancouver, B.C. from March 7-9, 2005.

As a follow-up to the 2003 workshop organized by Health Canada, the CFIA and FARRP, this initiative aims at expanding the consultation, information exchange and harmonization of allergen methodologies.

The Third Workshop on Food Allergen Methodologies aims at gathering scientists, chemists and analysts from government agencies, university, industry and consumer associations, to discuss issues related to the detection, identification and characterization of allergens in foods. Various topics will be discussed:

• Method development /evaluation and validation
• Proficiency testing
• Risk assessment / risk management - Impact on methodology development
• Development of reference materials
• Confirmatory techniques
• Standardization of techniques, evaluation criteria, etc.

Workshop Scientific Committee:

• Dr. Susan Hefle, Co-Director Food Allergen Research & Resource Program
  University of Nebraska
• Dr. Jupiter Yeung, Principal Scientist, National Food Processors Association
  Washington, D.C.
• Michael Abbott, co-ordinator Health Canada Food Allergens Program
• Dr. Samuel Ben Rejeb, Associate Director, Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Health Canada
• Stan Bacler, Laboratories Directorate, CFIA

Workshop Organizing Committee:

Food Allergy Research and Resource Program :

• Dr. Susan Hefle, University of Nebraska

Food Allergen Research Group, Food Directorate, Health Canada:

• Dr. Samuel Ben Rejeb
• Chantal Cléroux
• Michael Abbott
• David Davies

CFIA, Laboratories Directorate:

• Stan Bacler
• Karl Kurz
• Daniel Langlois

Participation in the workshop

Registration will be required. Details will be provided shortly in an updated version of this call on the Health Canada website or on  FARRP's website.

Location

The workshop will be held at the :

Vancouver Four Seasons Hotel
791 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, B.C
V6C 2T4
Canada
Tel # +1-(604) 689-9333

Hotel Information

The Vancouver Four Seasons Hotel is offering special room rates of $145 CAD per night single or double occupancy. All rooms are subject to 10% provincial sales tax and GST. Hotel reservations should be made directly with the hotel by calling +1-604-689-9333, faxing to +1-604-844-6744, or by email to reservations.vcr@fourseasons.com - to obtain the special room rate, please specify that you are attending the "Food Allergen Detection Workshop". Travel agency bookings do not receive the special room rate. The cutoff date for this special rate is February 4, 2005. After February 4, rooms and rates are subject to availability. All reservations must be accompanied by first-night room deposit by either cash or credit card.

Additionally, the group rate will be honored for arrivals and departures three days prior to and three days after the event on a space available basis. Check-in time is 3:00 pm and check-out time is 12:00 noon.