Navigating Regulatory Barriers & Food Safety Considerations for Foodtech Innovators
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time: 12:00 - 1:30PM ET
Format: Live Virtual (Zoom)
Zoom: Join our Zoom Meeting
Meeting Passcode: 411851
As your technologies move from prototype to pilot and into real-world food environments, regulatory readiness becomes a critical factor in commercialization success.
This week, we are joined by Lisa Cove (Shelf Ready Inc.) and Dr. Amy Proulx (Niagara College, Canadian Food & Wine Institute) for a practical discussion on food safety, compliance, and regulatory strategy for foodtech and novel ingredient innovators.
In this session, you will:
- Understand food safety considerations when selling technology into food processing environments, including sanitation, washability, and validation requirements;
- Learn how data, traceability, and documentation expectations apply when commercializing digital tools or software in regulated settings;
- Clarify when an ingredient may be considered “novel” under Health Canada guidelines and when pre-market approval is required;
- Explore typical testing and evidence expectations for novel ingredient submissions; and
- Identify common regulatory pitfalls that can delay pilots, partnerships, or commercialization.
Pre-Work Required: Please review the pre-recorded background presentations posted in this thread prior to the session. These provide foundational regulatory context so that our live time can focus on discussion, case examples, and your specific challenges.
Come Prepared: Bring questions related to your current or planned pilots, ingredient approvals, validation studies, or food safety considerations. This will be an AMA-style discussion grounded in real founder scenarios.
Regulatory readiness is not just a compliance exercise. It is a strategic lever for building customer trust, accelerating adoption, and de-risking scale.
