Protein Industries Canada announced a partnership that will develop nutritionally and functionally superior plant-based food products and beverages.
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YoFiit, Avena Foods Limited and Roquette Canada have partnered to solve technical challenges in formulating plant-based milk, probiotic-rich yogurt and other functional plant-based analogues – with a key focus on maintaining the nutritional equivalency to animal-based products, achieving higher functionality than existing products in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry.
The $1.7 million project will showcase Canada’s capacity – not only as a supplier of quality ingredients, but also for embracing cutting-edge food technology and patent-pending processes to develop products that are unique in the plant-based protein global marketplace.
“This project is yet another example of Canada’s growing potential in the production of plant-based products,” said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “By supporting SMEs in agricultural, Protein Industries Canada is helping new ideas and products become a reality and allowing these companies to scale-up like never before by accessing new and growing markets in Canada and around the world.”
YoFiit, a food-tech start-up with nutritious plant-based snacks and milk alternatives available in grocery stores across Canada, will lead the development of new food manufacturing techniques and novel food products.
“This project demonstrates the power of collaboration and importance of building capacity along the ecosystem. By pairing YoFiit, a young start-up, with global leaders like Avena and Roquette Canada, innovation, commercialisation and scale-up happens quicker – with the economic value and associated expertise staying in Canada,” CEO of Protein Industries Canada Bill Greuel said. “By increasing ingredient and food processing capacity in Canada, we are strengthening our domestic food supply chain, helping to reduce GHG emissions, creating jobs and supporting a strong and more prosperous economy.”
Avena and Roquette Canada will build off of success seen in their prior Protein Industries Canada projects, including the creation of new plant-based protein ingredients that utilize Canadian crops.