The Institute of Food Processing Technology

 Q & A with Susan McLachlan, IFPT’s Communications Officer

Conestoga College: New Institute of Food Processing Technology Offering Important Training and Education Opportunities

The Institute of Food Processing Technology (IFPT) opened in the fall of 2011 as part of a $125 million expansion at Conestoga College in Cambridge, Ontario.

The program is the first of its kind in Canada and is designed to equip students for jobs in the food industry, including line operators, material handlers, machine operators, maintenance assistants, cleaning and sanitation lead hands, supervisors and other positions. Two courses in the program are about food safety—one is a 30-hour course covering the basics, and the other is an 87-hour course that provides students with video materials and interactive exercises that are focused on practical situations encountered in real life food processing facilities. Registration for all IFPT courses is open not only to students, but also to food industry employees and anyone with an interest in food safety and food processing.

GFSR had a chance to catch up with IFPT’s Communications Officer, Susan McLachlan, who explained the Institute’s programs, some of its projects, and its plans for the future.