Symposium
SYMPOSIUM AQIA 2026
Do you have full control over all the risks? That’s the key question we’ll ask—and explore—during these two days dedicated to food safety. Whether it involves microbiological risks, foreign materials, or allergens, we invite you to take part in practical training sessions and a full day of conferences led by leading experts in the field of food safety, including an interactive discussion panel.
The Symposium is organized in partnership with INAF and is open to all stakeholders from industry, government, academia, as well as service and consulting companies working in the field of food safety.
General Information:
• September 16–17, 2026
• Pavillon Alphonse-Desjardins, Quebec City
• In-person only
• Event in French and English
Register now
Program Overview:
September 16
Two (2) training sessions to choose from:
- 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Training A
Building an Environmental Sampling Plan: Challenges and Solutions
Led by Stéphane Chatel (Lactalis)
This introductory training aims to provide the methodological foundations needed to design an environmental sampling plan based on risk analysis.
Learn more: https://event.fourwaves.com/fr/symposium-aqia-2026/pages - 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Training B
The Quality Assurance Director as a Strategic Risk Manager
Led by Colombe St-Pierre (ITAQ)
This training aims to redefine the role of the Quality Assurance Director as a key player in organization-wide risk management.
Learn more: https://event.fourwaves.com/fr/symposium-aqia-2026/pages - 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Visit of INAF facilities and the Food Processing Laboratory (FSAA)
- 3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. – AQIA Annual General Meeting
- 5:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. – Opening cocktail
September 17
- 7:45 a.m. to 8:25 a.m. – Networking breakfast
- 8:35 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. – Keynote presentation: IAFP guest speaker
- 9:20 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. – Conference – Health Canada
- 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. – Poster session and company booths
- 10:45 a.m. to 11:25 a.m. – Industry presentation: Risks in the dairy industry
Speaker: Stéphane Chatel, Vice President, Quality Assurance at Lactalis - 11:25 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. – Student oral presentations
- 11:45 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. – Research presentation: The case of biofilms
Speaker: Julie Jean, Ph.D., Professor-Researcher at the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Université Laval (INAF) - 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Poster session and booths
- 2:00 p.m. to 2:40 p.m. – Industry presentation: Foreign materials
- 2:40 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. – Industry presentation: Phages
Speaker: Viacheslav Liato, Ph.D., Project Manager at SyntBioLab - 3:20 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Industry presentation: AI in risk management
- 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. – Panel discussion: Allergens
Moderator: Ms. Anny Lainesse, Quality Director, Sofina Foods Inc., President of AQIA - 4:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Awards ceremony and closing
A unique space to learn, exchange, and advance your practices.
Registration and full program details will be announced in May.
Call for Abstracts:
The call for abstracts is open until June 15, 2026. Student awards are available to be won.
Booths:
A dedicated time in the program will allow participants to visit various booths.
If you are interested in reserving a space, please contact: Marie-Pascale.Gagne@fsaa.ulaval.ca