Toronto: June 17, 2026 — Plant-Based Foods of Canada (PBFC), a division of Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP), today shared a leadership update.

After several years of service, Leslie Ewing's tenure as Executive Director of PBFC will conclude on June 30, 2026, marking the natural end of her contract and the close of PBFC's fiscal year. PBFC and FHCP are grateful for her contributions since the division's founding and wish her every success in the next chapter.

Effective immediately, Teresa Mastrodicasa, FHCP's Vice-President, Food & Consumer Products Policy & Regulatory Affairs, will take on interim oversight of PBFC, supported by the FHCP policy, regulatory, communications, and member-services teams. Strategic and operational leadership rests with Michi Furuya Chang, FHCP's Executive Vice-President, Public Policy, Regulatory Affairs and Strategy.

PBFC and its Advisory Board will jointly undertake the process of determining new divisional leadership, getting underway this summer. Throughout the transition, PBFC's work continues without interruption — its member-validated strategic plan, regulatory advocacy, the Certified Plant-Based program, and planning for Plant Forward 2026.

"Leslie helped establish PBFC as a respected voice for Canada's plant-based sector, and we thank her for her dedication," said Michi Furuya Chang, FHCP's Executive Vice-President, Public Policy, Regulatory Affairs and Strategy. "Our focus now is squarely on continuity for our members and on selecting the right leader to carry that work forward. The division is in capable hands, and its momentum is undiminished."

Media Contact:
Siobhan Juniku 
Director, Communications, FHCP 
[email protected]
(416) 817-7301