Public Relations Committee

Liaison Officer-Mr. Joe Courant Food Products Limited 2610 J. B. Deschamps St. Lachine, Quebec. -Mr. P. P. Fiset (as above)

NATIONAL COMMITTEES It was decided at the Edmonton Conference to keep members abreast of the function and ongoing activities of National Committees by publishing summaries by their chairmen in the journal. Here is the first of what is hoped will become a regular feature in the Institute Affairs section. Note to other committee chairmen-Let's have your submission. D. W. S.

Liaison Committee This committee provides a vital link between CIFST and a growing number of other representative and professional organizations nationally and internationally. Our institute has grown to the point where we can justifiably clrim leadership or spokesmanship for professionals in many areas of the Canadian food system. To function properly we must interact with other related groups and have formal input to such bodies as the Canada Committee on Food. The liaison committee provides the CIFST with a system of internal organization for these interactive functions. At present we are represe;;ted with or provide support to 1FT, SCITEe, The Canadian Hunger Foundation, Youth Science Foundation, International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFOST), AIC and the Canadian Science Committee on Food and Nutrition (CSCFN). Two new areas of contact have been developed over the past year. We are now represented by Dr. David Clark on the Canada Committee on Food. This will constitute a most important area of input for CIFST. At the international level CIFST has been asked to initiate supportive contact with the Indonesian Association of Food and Beverage Entrepreneurs (GAPMMI). Appropriate steps are now being taken to comply with this request. Dr. Bill Humphreys will take over as our 1FT observer and will no doubt represent us well, especially since he has already established close personal contact with 1FT during his involvement with our joint regional communicator systems. Other areas where we find ourselves heavily involved include the CSCFN, of which Dr. John Vanderstoep is Chairman, and IUFOST. CIFST made a nomination in the past year to the position of President of IUFOST. Mr. Joe Hulse was our nominee and has now been elected. his term of office to commence in Kyoto. Japan in September at the Fifth International Food Congress. This is a most prestigious honor for Joe Hulse, CIFST and Canada. We offer our sincere congratulations! The Liaison Committee. in the persons of Dr. Rene Riel. Mrs. Elizabeth Larmond. Dr. Bill Humphreys, Dr. David Clark and Dr. Dan Cumming (Chairman). will continue to provide CIFST with the very necessary contact we must maintain outside our organization in order to ,remain a truly representative voice for food professionals. It is becoming increasingly important that informed professional opinion be made available to governmental policy development in the area of foods and the Canadian Food System. Over the next few years one of the most important tasks of the Liaison Committee will be to ensure that the opinion of CIFST is heard and heard correctly. Dan Cumming. Chairman

Public Relations Committee The C.l.F.S.T. Bylaws state the terms of reference of the Public Relations Committee to be: ... as directed by Council ... to study and make recommendations on any aspect of Institute public relations. either at the National level or within the Sections in order to assure that ethical standards are maintained commensurate with the objectives of the Institute. Such a charge could encompass many activities. The major efforts of the Committee during the past several years. has been the dissemination of unbiased public information materials. The Committee has the task of assisting the Technical Committee in the preparation of such brochures and has prepared statements for the news media as appropriate. in response to biased and/or false information or claims about foods in the newspaper or on TV or radio. In 1975 C.l.F.S.T. Council passed a motion seeking cooperation be-

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tween c.l.F.S.T. and LFT. in a public information program. C.l.F.S.T. appointed Information Coordinators whose role would be to collate, assess and release scientific and technical food and nutrition information from C.LF.S.T., LFT. and other reliable sources. Ten people were ap_ pointed at that time. Although there have been some changes of person_ nel, the following people presently are serving as Information Coordi_ nators: P. Jelen (Alberta); W. D. Powrie (B.C.); M. R. McDaniel (Manitoba); R. S. Whitaker (Newfoundland); D. B. Cumming (Nova Scotia); J. M. deMan. E. N. Harper and D.F. Wood (Ontario); J. Goulet and J. R. Rolland (Quebec); E. S. Humbert (Saskatchewan). The involvement of the Information Coordinators in the public information exchange procedure has been quite varied. All have been available as back-up resource persons to the officially released Statements. Others have also taken a more direct approach and initiated communication with media people within their area. on a range of subjects pertaining to food science and technology. Since the establishment of the Regional Information Coordinators program. several Scientific Status Summaries have been released. All of these have originated with l.F.T., with appropriate input from C.LF.ST. A number of very interesting releases are planned for this current year. Included in this list are such topics as: Nitrates-An Update; Fiber in the Diet; Food Colors; Salt; Atherosclerosis; Sugars and Caloric S~eeteners; Interpretation of Carcinogenicity Tests. The Public Relations Committee would like to encourage C.l.F.ST. members to develop several topics such as above. for release as Status Summaries. Dr. F. J. Francis, the current LFT. observer to the C.LF.S.T. and chairman of the LFT. Expert Panel on Food Safety and Nutrition, is also very eager to see this Canadian involvement expanded. Each local Section of C.LF.S.T. is urged also to be involved in dissemination of unbiased, reliable information. This need not be done through official, established channels, but can be accomplished very effectively, by every member of C.l.F.S.T. fulfilling his/her individual professional responsibility. There is no shortage of public misinformation. Much of it is damaging to our profession. harmful to the food business with which we are associated and not least of all, potentially hazardous to the consumers' health. This misinformation needs to be counteracted and replaced by correct knowledge about the food supply. As the need for public information grows, the Institute is faced with a similarly increasing need to establish a paid position to manage its public relations program, including the development of technical and general position statements for appropriate release to the public, media, government and other interested parties. The Committee is to look into this matter during this year. The Public Relations Committee would welcome any comments C.l.F.S.T. members may have concerning the Committee's activities. Offers of assistance in carrying out their task. I am sure, will be gratefully accepted by the Regional Information Communicators. The effort of the Institute can only be as strong as the contributions of its members. John Vanderstoep Chairman

Student Affairs Committee The Student Affairs Committee of CIFST was established a few years ago to ensure that student participation and representation in the Institute are maintained, encouraged and developed. Twenty percent of the total membership of CIFST are students, therefore it is very important to the continued growth of the Institute that students become actively involved in its programs. Several special programs were developed particularly for students at the Edmonton conference and student attendance was encouraged through inexpensive registration packages and accommodation. Current assignments of the Student Affairs Committee include: I) co-operating with the Awards Committee on student awards 2) planning student activities for the Quebec City conference in 1979 3) establishing the position of Student Representative on the local executive of all sections with significant student membership 4) evaluating the success of food science and technology students in finding employment after graduation and 5) investigating ways of better handling employment information within the Institute. If you have any suggestions or areas of concern with respect to the student affairs of CIFST please contact me with your ideas. Linda Jones. Chairperson. Student Affairs Committee J. Inst. Can. Sci. Techno!. Aliment. Vol. t J, No.4, O<:tobre 1978