The Food & Beverage Awards are just around the corner and YOU'RE INVITED. Check out the AGM Presenter Lineup and You can help build a better workforce.
Your Invitation to Alberta’s Top Food & Beverage Events
Join us Wed., June 25 at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino in Calgary for a day of learning, connection, and celebration at the 2025 AFPA Annual General Meeting and Alberta Food & Beverage Awards.
We’ll begin the day with the AFPA AGM, featuring timely insights to help you grow your Alberta food business.
Our first session features MNP, who will share new national research comparing Canada’s food and beverage sector with global markets. Their presentation will explore key challenges and opportunities facing the industry—including where Alberta businesses can lead. You'll come away with a better understanding of how to stay competitive and where to focus for long-term growth.
Next, we’ll hear from Gary Hughes, Local Development Specialist with Sobeys Prairies, who will lead a panel of Alberta entrepreneurs who’ve successfully scaled their brands and landed retail listings. From pricing and packaging to scaling operations and working with buyers, this session will highlight what it really takes to get Alberta-made products on store shelves.
You’ll also receive an update on the Made in Alberta program—what’s new, what’s next, and how it’s helping local producers gain traction in a growing market.
Throughout the day, connect with peers and service providers at our industry exhibitor showcase, featuring key players from across Alberta’s food and beverage ecosystem.
Then, the spotlight shifts to the main event: the Alberta Food & Beverage Awards Gala. This highly anticipated evening will honour the most innovative and
exceptional food and beverage products made right here in Alberta. With hundreds of submissions received, the competition is fierce—and we look forward to celebrating the people and products raising the bar across the province. We wish all applicants the best of luck in being named ‘Alberta’s Best’ in their category.
Don’t miss out—book your tickets or reserve your exhibitor table today and be part of this full-day celebration of Alberta’s food and beverage industry.
And be sure to save the date for the 2025 AFPA Golf Classic – our industry’s hottest golf tournament - returning Friday, September 26 at The Quarry in Edmonton. Registration opens soon!
Alberta’s food and beverage sector is facing critical labour shortages— and we’re doing something about it! AFPA is making a toolkit to help small and mid-sized companies hire and keep great workers, especially youth and newcomers. These toolkits will include easy tips on:
What skills are needed in the industry
How to find and welcome new team members
Onboarding & Workforce Integration skills to help new workers succeed and stay
We need your help! Join our Employer Working Group to:
Tell us what tools would best support you during an interview
Test out the draft toolkit at your workplace
Give us your honest feedback
Reach out to melody@afpa.com to join the Employer Working Group.
No big time commitment required — just your ideas and support.
This project is brought to you by the Province of Alberta and the Government of Canada, working together to support Alberta jobs.
Let’s build a strong, skilled workforce for the future — together!
AFPA is Pleased to Welcome the Following New Members
Manufacturers across Alberta are navigating unprecedented challenges affecting business operations and competitiveness. Please join us in Red Deer for an in-person event designed to share important initiatives in the sector, unveil Alberta labour market survey data, and discuss practical solutions.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2025 9:00 AM MST
RED DEER, AB
The Province of Alberta is working in partnership with the Government of Canada to provide employment support programs and services. This event is funded in part by the Province of Alberta’s Department of Jobs, Economy, and Trade, aimed at strengthening Alberta’s manufacturing sector by addressing critical labor market gaps, enhancing workforce development, and building partnerships with educational programs and initiatives.
Culture at the Table: Empowering Food & Beverage Leaders
Skills Training Across Canada (STAC) is a new national online learning program designed by Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC) to advance workforce development. This program is an all-in-one solution to upskill your Frontline Workers and new hires, without impact to production time – we supply the tools (and the perks!) to improve your workforce. Watch the video!
Retail Ready: What You Need to Sell Your Food Product to Retail
A Webinar series from Manitoba Ag
Jeff Fidyk with Manitoba Agriculture Value Added Branch prepares you for conversations with retailers to get your food products listed. Denise Aminot-Gilchrist with Food and Beverage manitoba will round out the series by explaining the ‘new’ front-of-package requirements and what it means to processors.
You can choose to attend one or more of the following webinars:
May 27, 2025 - What is a Promotion Plan and How You can Use This to Get Listings and Build Sales
May 28, 2025: What to Say When a Food Buyer Tells You ‘no’ and Other Tips to Making a Successful Sales Pitch
June 3, 2025: New Front-of-Package Labelling Requirements in Canada – What You Need to Know
For information call 204-821-5322 or email karen.walker-tibble@gov.mb.ca
Here at AFPA, we recognize that effective health and safety practices begin with proper training. We offer an extensive list of course offerings throughout the year, with discounted rates for AFPA members. Our new website makes it easier than ever to find and register for a course online. Visit www.afpa.com/workplace-safety-courses to get started today!
Upcoming Course Dates (Virtual - Instructor led training):
HS Committee or Rep 'Technical Rules' - May 28
Hazard Assessment & Control - July 16
Incident Investigation - Jun 4
OHS System Building - Sept 10-11
OHS Roles & Responsibilities for Managers/Supervisors - June 11
In collaboration with the Government of Alberta and the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB), AFPA acts as a certifying partner and offers employers training in building a health & safety management system to achieve their Certificate of Recognition (COR) or Small Employer Certificate of Recognition (SECOR).
Having a COR offers many benefits, all employers who are involved in the program can earn rebates of up to 20% on their industry rate. By maintaining a COR, you are demonstrating that your health and safety management programs are effective and effective programs have been proven to have an impact on injury reduction. By reducing or eliminating entirely workplace injuries you can become an industry leader. Some corporations may require bidding contractors to hold a valid COR.
AFPA is here to help achieve your COR your simply assist with your day to day workplace safety needs (regardless of COR).
HACCP Training
Upcoming Dates
Introduction to HACCP - July 15 & 16
This hands-on course is designed to provide food industry professionals with a comprehensive understanding of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, a globally recognized approach to managing food safety hazards.
HACCP Team Training - June 17 | September 16
Designed to provide participants with the essential knowledge required to develop and implement a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system. This interactive, intensive four-hour course is tailored to meet the needs of professionals in the food industry who are part of the HACCP or food safety team. Upon successful completion, participants will receive a certificate of participation, confirming their ability to contribute to the development and maintenance of an effective HACCP system.
In-house training is available upon request as well as dates for BRC training contact AFPA.
FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food v2
Training Dates: August 26-28, 2025 (24 hours over 3 Days)
The Preventive Controls for Human Food 2.0 curriculum integrates information from the FDA’s recently issued Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human
Food draft guidance including updates to the hazard analysis course chapter which now includes use of the FDA’s Appendix 1 – Known or Reasonably Foreseeable Hazards and updates to the allergen chapter which now includes sesame.
FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food 2.0 course helps those who operate primarily under HACCP by improving the linkage between Preventive Controls and HACCP.
Missed an issue? No worries! Every past edition of AFPA in ACTION is available online, packed with must-know industry insights, trends, and expert analysis. Don't miss out—explore now!Browse past issues:AFPA in ACTION
AFPA Food Futures Program
AFPA's Food Futures program offers employer wage subsidies of 50% (up to $5,000) to hire current post-secondary students and recent grads (within 6 months)? Placements can be in any area relevant to the industry including: food science, agriculture, accounting, human resources, IT, safety, engineering, and marketing.
Now is the time to plan your summer placements! Take advantage of this funding before its gone. The current funding model for this program concludes September 30, 2025.
Have you checked out AFPA's co-packing portal, AB Food Connect? This is a great resource for companies looking to connect with co-packers across the province as well as co-packers or processors with extra capacity.
Alberta Food Processors Association (AFPA), c/o 5123 Marian Road NE, Calgary, Alberta T2A 2Y1, Canada, 403-201-3657
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