AOAC 2018 Preliminary Program

KEYNOTE ADDRESS Building Trust Together

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2018 10:00am – 1 1 :30am Aline Dimitri, Deputy Chief Food Safety Officer, Executive Director, Food Safety Science Directorate, Science Branch, CFIA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) works with other government organizations, industry and academia to support and develop science that contributes to evidence-based decisions that protect Canada’s food, animal and plant resources. In her role as Deputy Chief Food Safety Officer, Dr. Aline Dimitri strives to improve transparency by providing relevant information in a way that citizens can understand. This involves explaining what the agency does, and why. As a regulatory Agency, the CFIA tests tens of thousands of food samples every year. These test results are critical because they impact and influence food safety, Canadian business and international trade. For this reason, the CFIA relies on a network of accredited laboratories that use fit for purpose and validated methods to generate defensible testing results. This is a key element, within the broader food safety system, where AOAC International plays an import- ant role. Dr. Dimitri will discuss transparency, sound science and international collaboration as essential elements to build public trust. About Aline Dimitri Aline Dimitri is the Executive Director of the Food Safety Science Directorate and the Deputy Chief Food Safety Officer at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Dr. Dimitri is responsible for providing science advice, scientific risk intelligence, and overall science direction to inform policy analysis, program design, algorithm development and operational decision-making in the area of food. She is also responsible for designing food safety surveillance and monitoring programs, such as the National Chemical Residue Program and the National Microbiological Monitoring Program, as well as providing leadership on the food research agenda for the CFIA. As the executive lead of the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) initiative within CFIA, she collaborates extensively across the Government of Canada, with international partners, and with stakeholders in the development and implementation of the pan-Canadian action plan in response to the global threat of AMR. In her capacity as Deputy Chief Food Safety Officer, Dr. Dimitri is responsible for facilitating collaboration between federal departments and provincial partners in the area of food safety and provides leadership to high profile initiatives as such as Food Fraud. Aline is a graduate of McGill University where she received her Ph.D. in Food Science. Throughout her career, she has gained a wide range of experience in the areas of policy design and program delivery in highly complex scientific and corporate areas.

8 AUGUST 26 – 29, 2018 SHERATON CENTRE TORONTO HOTEL