Awards Categories

Purpose: To honour a Professional member or Retired member of CIFST for an outstanding contribution to the Institute.

Eligibility Criteria: The candidate must be a Professional member or a Retired member of CIFST and must have worked diligently and long in maintaining and furthering the reputation and aims of the Institute, and whose efforts have stimulated others.

Current members of the CIFST Board of Directors cannot be nominees.

Download Form Institute Award 2024

Purpose: A CIFST achievement award in recognition of an outstanding applied development by a Canadian company or institution in the fields of food production, processing, transportation, storage or quality control.

Background: This award was created in 1974 to recognize the outstanding contribution of Gordon Royal Maybee in the area of applied development.

Mr. Maybee led a distinguished career as Chief Chemist for the Fry-Cadbury Co. in Montreal from 1927 until his retirement in 1970. He gained an international reputation in the field of food science and technology. In addition to his regular work duties, he worked to develop special foods and rations connected to the Canadian war efforts during the second world war.

Mr. Maybee was active in many associations, and CIFST in particular benefitted from his volunteer work. He was a founding member of CIFST, served as chair of the Montreal section from 1954 to 1955, and was CIFST president from 1960 to 1961.

Eligibility Criteria: A recipient of the award can be any registered Canadian company (Canadian or foreignowned), crown corporation, university or government agency. If any of the developmental work is done outside Canada, it must be financed by the Canadian company, organization or agency in question. A development would not qualify when developed outside Canada with foreign capital, even if first applied in Canada.

The development can include:

a) a new or improved method of food processing which substantially improves the quality or acceptance of a food, or significantly reduces manufacturing or processing costs;

b) a new food or a new food preparation of major significance, which gains an outstanding reputation for quality and acceptance;

c) new equipment which revolutionizes the quality of a food or its production rate, or significantly reduces manufacturing or processing costs;

d) new methods of packaging, storing or transporting foods which vastly improve existing methods;

e) a new or improved method of measuring a constituent or contaminant in foods, for use in the fabrication of foods or for quality or safety control;

or f) a new or improved method of preparing and/or cooking a food which profoundly changes existing consumer or institutional procedures for the better.

Consideration for the award will be given to any meritorious development presently being applied in Canada. To qualify, the development must be in use in the food industry or in food research laboratories of government agencies and universities for at least seven months prior to nomination for the award.

Download Form Gordon Royal Maybee Award

Purpose: Conferred on the CEO of a company who has made an outstanding contribution to the Canadian food industry.

Eligibility Criteria: The candidate does not have to be a member of CIFST, but, through his or her work, has made an outstanding contribution to the Canadian food industry.

Current members of the CIFST Board of Directors cannot be nominees.

Download Form Food CEO Award

Purpose: To honour an individual or team for outstanding work in food innovation

Eligibility Criteria: The individual or team must have made a significant contribution to food innovation. The innovation must have been on the market for at least one year prior to nomination. The individual or at least one member of the team must be a member of CIFST.

Current members of the CIFST Board of Directors cannot be nominees.

Download Form Food Innovation Award

Purpose: To honour a person who has contributed to Canadian food science and technology through outstanding research and service to the industry.

Background: The William J. Eva Award is one of the most prestigious awards offered by CIFST. Created in 1967, it recognizes the outstanding contribution of Mr. Eva to the food industry in Canada.

Mr. Eva was the Chief Chemist of the Western Division of Ogilvie Flour Mills in Winnipeg. His volunteer work with CIFST was exceptional – he was a founding member of the Institute, served as national president from 1953 to 1954, held key positions within the Institute for an additional 25 years, and continued active involvement after retirement.

Eligibility Criteria: The candidate must be a member of CIFST and must have contributed significantly to food science and technology in Canada through outstanding research and service to the industry.

Current members of the CIFST Board of Directors cannot be nominees.

Download Form WJ Eva Award

Purpose: To honour an individual or team for outstanding contribution to the development of food safety & quality within the food processing industry.

Eligibility Criteria: The individual, or at least one member of the team, must be a member of CIFST and must have made an outstanding contribution to the development of food safety & quality within the food processing industry in Canada. (Routine practice of food safety & quality does not qualify, even if practiced for many years.)

Current members of the CIFST Board of Directors cannot be nominees.

Download Form Food Safety and Quality Award

Purpose: To bestow an honourary title upon a member who has retired from his or her vocation, and who, in the course of their career, has contributed meritorious service to the Food Industry and the Institute.

Eligibility Criteria: The candidate must be a professional or retired member of CIFST, who, in the course of their career, has contributed meritorious service to the food industry and the Institute. Current members of the CIFST Board of Directors cannot be nominees.

Limitations: A maximum of one Emeritus Membership may be granted per year.

Download Form Emeritus Membership Award

Purpose: The Student Leadership Award is presented to a Student Member of CIFST who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and contribution to CIFST.

Eligibility Criteria: The candidate must be a student member of CIFST at the time of nomination, be closely involved with CIFST and have demonstrated strong leadership by engaging his or her student peers in CIFST activities and events

Current members of the CIFST Board of Directors cannot be nominees.

Download Form Student Leadership Award