Canadian Food Business Spring 2022

» The science of food and beverage ISSUE 2 • 2022

Reeling them in How consumer demand for plant based foods is changing Canada's fish industry

DIGITAL DETECTIVES THAT KEEP FOOD SAFE

GUEST EDITORIAL

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An important platform to promote food science and technology

by Louis Ayotte

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n behalf of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST), it is my privilege to be able to contribute this editorial to Canadian Food Business magazine, in a partnership with its publisher that was months in the making.

We wanted to partner with a quality publication that would give us a platform to promote the food science and technology perspective, and give a voice to the professionals employed by the sector.

The food and beverage sector is no different from other industries that have struggled under the weight of COVID-19 over the past two years.

This has been a challenging time for our members, who have suffered through lockdowns, closures, layoffs, and supply chain issues. In food science academic institutions across Canada, many of our faculty and student members had their classes moved to online learning, adding to the daily stress of balancing work, home, and family.

GUEST EDITORIAL

As a long-standing association, CIFST didn’t come through the pandemic unscathed. With many of our in-person events, including our annual conference, cancelled, we had to innovate and bring value to our members with online events. At the local level, our chapters, which rely on in-person events to connect with members in their local community, had to cancel all in-person events such as supplier nights, technical seminars, and social events.

In 2021, CIFST celebrated its 70th anniversary virtually. We did our best to carry on with the celebrations with a creative, engaging, and fun campaign. But that was the past; let’s talk about the future. Despite the obstacles, the goals of CIFST are: • provide a professional network for the exchange of scientific, educational, and business ideas, information, and knowledge; • be a respected voice on scientific and policy issues of interest to the food and beverage sector; • promote the professional development and careers of CIFST members; and • increase awareness of opportunities and careers in the food and beverage sector.

To attain these goals in 2022, we are launching several inperson and virtual events at both the national and local levels.

We are excited to meet in person on a national level for the first time in more than two years at the Canadian Food Summit June 1-3 at the University of Guelph, with the theme “Propelling Research and Innovation.” The conference is an opportunity for exchanging ideas, professional development, networking, and seeing the hottest new products.

On a local level, the first in-person meeting since 2019 will be the Quebec Section suppliers night, which will be held May 12 at Espace Saint-Hyacinthe. I would ask that you visit the various CIFST section calanders to get further details of their program.

We have launched a new education series called “Knowledge Bites” which are biweekly webinars that offer professional development by speakers in academia and industry.

“CIFST *ALT, An Innovation Showcase” was launched in 2020 as a virtual event; it was so well-received we will be presenting it as an in-person event in September.

One of the things that we are very excited about is our new relationship with Canadian Food Business magazine. This newly forged relationship allows our members and stakeholders to have their voices heard.

In this issue, you will find the contributions by CIFST Director Dana McCauley, Chief Experience Officer at the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN), on the topic of trends in food traceability; and, in the summer issue, Dr. Lawrence Goodridge, Director, Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety at the University of Guelph, will offer his insights on tracking pathogens in food.

In partnership with the magazine, we have put together an Advisory Committee made up of CIFST volunteers working in food science and academia from across the country. It is my great pleasure to introduce the committee: • Dr. Marcia English, Associate Professor, St. Francis Xavier University, Department of Human Nutrition • Dr. Michael Nickerson, Saskatchewan Research Chair and Professor, University of Saskatchewan • Dr. Amanda Wright, Associate Professor, University of Guelph • Dr. Hosahalli Ramaswamy, Professor, McGill University The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to work with the editorial team to help identify food science experts in the field and provide feedback and insights on the magazine’s content. Three of the committee members were recruited from the CIFST Scientific Advisory panel, which has expertise in food chemistry, food processing, food engineering, and food nanotechnology. The fourth member is on our Board of Directors.

Looking into the future, we look forward to a growing partnership and future relationship with Canadian Food Business magazine. We hope that you will come along and support this initiative.

Louis Ayotte is the President of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST).

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We are excited to meet in person on a national level for the first time in more than two years at the Canadian Food Summit June 1-3 at the University of Guelph

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NEWS BITES

Winners of the 2021 Arrell Global Food Innovation Awards announced

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A nutrition scientist and a Lebanese Indigenous food security foundation will each receive $100,000 as winners of the Arrell Global Food Innovation Awards for 2021.

Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, who is the global lead for nutrition and public health at WorldFish, has received the award for research innovation. Based in Malaysia, WorldFish is an international aquatic foods science and innovation entity of CGIAR, the world’s largest agricultural research network.

The other winner, Food Heritage Foundation, received the award for community engagement innovation by using Indigenous culinary traditions to increase food security, food skills, and economic development in Lebanon.

Thilsted studies the nutritional potential of small fish species consumed in Bangladesh and Cambodia. Her work shows that diverse fish and other aquatic foods contain essential micronutrients and fatty acids crucial to the development of children and the health of their mothers. She implemented local and culturally appropriate food-based solutions that improved nutrition and health for millions of malnourished children and their mothers in countries across Asia and Africa, where fish and other aquatic foods are integral to diets and culture.

The Food Heritage Foundation emphasizes local specialties in food preparation, linking rural and urban communities and creating markets for local farmers. In the face of globalization and fast-food chains, the foundation aims to protect local Lebanese knowledge and traditions around food, and empower small producers and farmers, who are seen as key holders of these traditions.

Distributed annually since 2018, the Arrell Global Food Innovation Awards recognize unique approaches and impacts of work by individuals and organizations around the globe.

Snack giant to open new plant in Ontario

Leclerc Foods, a North American snack food manufacturer, has purchased a 790,000-sq.ft. production plant in Brockville, Ont., with plans to begin production in July. The new plant, which will be the company’s largest production facility, represents an investment of more than $100 million over five years and is expected to generate over 100 jobs in the same period. The site will be high-tech, peanut-free certified, and devoted to cookie and bar production.

Building better food with blueberries

Dalhousie's Faculty of Agriculture is partnering with Clever Fruit Products, a Nova Scotia-based food company, to conduct research on converting locally grown wild blueberries into high-value food ingredients.

The four-year project is led by Vasantha Rupasinghe, professor of functional foods and nutraceuticals in the school’s Department of Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences. The Industry and Alliance Program of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada is contributing $320,000 to optimize a novel process to generate encapsulated food ingredients from fermented wild blueberry.

“This value-added agri-food process is a combination of ancient knowledge on generating health-promoting fermented food and innovative food nanotechnology,” Rupasinghe explains. “The new food ingredients will be assessed for their efficacy in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disorders, a rising health problem in Canada and worldwide that can lead to social and economic burdens.”

The funds will also help to train a new generation of food scientists.

Canada produces about half of the world’s wild blueberries. About 80% of the wild blueberries produced here are exported in quick-frozen form. Recently, the farmgate value of wild blueberries has declined due to increased supply. Therefore, product diversification through value-addition is timely.

“Once the scalable-manufacturing process is completed, we will manufacture the new food ingredient in Nova Scotia and distribute to the global health food ingredient market,” said Sean Sears, Antigonish-born businessman and Executive Chairman of Clever Fruit Products.

Nutritionist Lorna Vanderhaeghe, a director of the company, said, “The unique raw material and value-added process will help us to introduce clean and healthy food ingredients and dietary supplements to the emerging sustainable global functional foods sector.”

In addition to the beneficial properties, the safety of the new food ingredients will also be studied. The outcome of the proposed research will contribute to the product diversification of Canadian wild blueberries and the health promotion and well-being of Canadians.

NEWS BITES

Lentils are a major food crop in Saskatchewan, either eaten alone, ground into flour, or increasingly as part of the growing market for plant-based meat alternatives.

The choice of appropriate thermal pre-treatment and processing of lentil seeds into flour can enhance the consumption of lentils by improving their nutritional profile and providing new ingredients with various functional properties to be used in food applications.

That can be time- and energy-intensive, so Venkatesh Meda, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at the University of Saskatchewan, and his research team have been developing methods that effectively use microwaves and infrared energy to speed up the modification process and make it more selective.

Altering starch and protein structure during the modification process of lentil seeds can bring about the desirable changes in the functional and nutritional properties of its flour.

“Infrared and microwave energy together can enhance the nutritional and functional properties of the seeds and the flour milled after the treatment,” he says.

Microwave-assisted processing has been used in the agri-food industry in other parts of the world, but not in Saskatchewan. So Meda, along with his PhD students Mehdi Heydari and Tahereh Najib, developed a model to describe what happens to lentils as they are microwave-processed, with the goal of helping the local industry adopt the process. “We are looking at how we can optimize the process to make recommendations for a pilot plant or industrial-scale applications,” Meda says.

The algorithm considers variables such as a lentil’s water content, temperature, the power of the microwave, and how these factors influence functional and structural changes in starches and proteins.

But the amount of energy that gets absorbed, and what it does to the lentils, is not easily measurable using common laboratory tools, so the team turned to the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan.

The CLS’s mid-infrared beamline allowed them to see how variations in the time and power of microwave processing changed the structure of the starch and proteins in various preparations of lentils, from full seeds to milled flour. This is important because these changes to starch and protein can affect how stable the lentils or ingredients are on the shelf long term, and what kinds of foods they can be processed into. By including these variables in the algorithm, lentil processors will be able to optimize the power levels and cooking times to get the result they want as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Meda hopes his algorithm can help Saskatchewan’s lentil producers adopt microwave-infrared processing to save time and energy during processing. More efficient and targeted processing could encourage increased use of the locally grown crop in applications like plant-based protein, with benefits for both the environment and the economy.

“The more of these that are grown by our farmers, the more added nitrogen fixation in the soil. It indirectly contributes to the circular economy as a whole because of the environmental footprint and benefits,” he says.

Report identifies threats to crop plants and food security

Helping Canada meet current and emerging threats to its crop plants and food security is the purpose of a new report by an expert panel. The "Cultivating Diversity" report available on the Council of Canadian Academies website, identifies key risks posed to Canadian crop plants by climate change, extreme weather events, and pests and diseases, and pinpoints gaps and overlaps in governance from registration of crop protection products to communication among federal and provincial agencies. The report aims to raise awareness among decision-makers of emerging concerns affecting Canada’s agriculture and forestry sectors.

For more information go to www.cca-reports.ca/protecting-planthealth-essential-to-future-prosperityand-sustainability-new-report

A far ‘out there’ notion may be nearer than you think A California-based visionary and founder of Project Nourished, Jinsoo An, is developing the world’s first VR-enabled eating and drinking experience and paving the future of digitally augmented food, beverages, and medicine. The company offers a virtual dining experience that replicates existing foods and invents new ones that would be impossible to create in physical reality. Users wear a VR headset that places them in an immersive environment where they can eat 3D-printed algae cubes, while aromatic diffusers and bone-conduction technology manipulate their senses to simulate the dining experience.

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An algorithm to improve lentil processing

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FEATURE

Digital Detectives

A new wave of innovators is improving food safety and bottom lines

By Dana McCauley, Chief Experience Officer, Canadian Food Innovation Network

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o you ever wonder whether your food is safe to eat?

While our sensory organs are amazing tools that help us to evaluate the safety of food, they aren’t infallible. In fact, foodborne illnesses occur surprisingly often, affecting many people and exerting stress on the health care system. According to Health Canada, about four million Canadians, or one in eight, are affected by a foodborne illness each year, resulting in more than 11,500 hospitalizations and more than 235 deaths.

While illness is the most significant outcome of our inability to consistently detect pathogens and identify food quality deficiencies, financial losses incurred by food businesses are a significant issue, as well. Despite rigorous quality controls and regulations, the Canadian food system often identifies foods that are past their prime or are suspected of being compromised. When that happens, foods and ingredients are often discarded, resulting in productivity and financial losses that devour profits and lead to higher food prices for the end consumer.

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Fortunately, a new wave of technologysavvy entrepreneurs is using their creativity to come up with new and better solutions for assessing food quality.

Because of their efforts, food products are becoming safer, food waste is reduced, and food businesses are able to be more profitable. Canadian companies are on the forefront of this new wave. I spoke to three founders working to solve different food safety and quality problems and discovered that each company, although using different technology to learn different things, are working through a consumercentric lens to sell their technology to food business clients.

Savormetrics is an artificial intelligence driven company, based in Mississauga, Ont., that analyzes biochemical and biophysical factors to determine food quality so that retailers and food processors can get the highest-quality food to the consumer. “Our technology assesses the decay patterns and biochemical markers present in foods so that the best quality food gets to stores when it tastes and looks its best,” explains Harjeet Bajaj, president and CEO of Savormetrics. “Our customers invest in our real-time food quality analyzers because they know that we can help them to have the information they need to make the data-driven distribution decisions required to achieve high consumer satisfaction scores.”

Savormetrics delivers on its value proposition by predicting the shelf life of food products and recommending how to deploy foods differently through the supply chain. For example, using its handheld devices, employees at a distribution centre can assess produce to gauge its true shelf life. If, for instance, a bag of lettuce has five days shelf life, the distribution manager may choose to change plans to send the shipment from Moncton to Vancouver, and instead send it to another province in the Atlantic region. As well as reinforcing customer loyalty, Savormetrics’ clients see significant reduction in waste due to

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FEATURE

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shrink, a combination of benefits that also helps companies to be more profitable and less wasteful.

At the step in the food supply chain where value is added to food commodities in manufacturing and production facilities, operations managers are encouraged to schedule large batch runs. While the advantage of having one set of equipment and employees doing the same thing for many hours leads to economies of scale, with larger lots the possible loss of product and productivity when quality issues are identified has been historically large.

For instance, if a piece of metal is found in one chicken nugget as it travels through a metal detector, quality assurance teams must assume that every chicken nugget that didn’t go through that detection device since the last equipment inspection may contain metal as well. Since no responsible company would ship products to their customers with a chance of contamination, historically the entire batch would go into the garbage, leading to food waste and tremendous loss of productivity.

Innovators like Olga Pawluczyk, CEO of P&P Optica (PPO) out of Waterloo, Ont., are making this occurrence much less likely. Using a combination of hardware and software, the company’s Smart Imaging Systems are designed to improve nutritional quality, safety, and sustainability. Once the system is installed on production lines, quality managers get feedback on issues in line, in real time. Since every piece of product is inspected, it’s easier to isolate and eliminate only the small number of products that do not meet quality standards. “We’re

able to understand chemistry quickly and precisely to detect things in new ways that don’t belong on or in our food,” says Pawluczyk.

When it comes to foodborne pathogens, the stakes are higher than brand reputation and efficiency. Life is on the line and time is of the essence. Traditional methods of pathogen detection required samples from a batch to be sent to a lab where a technician would then grow a culture for three days to identify if harmful bacteria is present in the food. This long and expensive process prevented food manufacturers from doing frequent testing and required them to keep large batches of product on hold until samples were cleared to be safe.

“One sample collection per day is really not good enough to ensure food safety because bacterial growth can be massive in just a day or two,” says Nisha Sarveswaran, founder and CEO of Kraken Sense, a Mississauga, ON-based startup that specializes in real-time automated pathogen detection.

Kraken Sense’s approach is to draw samples from food production lines continuously to monitor how bacteria levels change. Needing only electricity and a Wi-Fi connection, the company uses filtration systems to monitor water and wastewater quality to detect when bacterial pathogen loads start to approach levels of concern.

While these new tools represent significant progress, Bajaj, Sarveswaran and Pawluczyk predict that traceability tools will continue to improve and offer more opportunities to ensure consumers are confident in food quality. While Kraken Sense is currently perfecting E. coli detection, Sarveswaran

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“ Our technology assesses the decay patterns and biochemical markers present in foods so that the best quality food gets to store when it tastes and looks its best”

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says the company has started testing for Salmonella, Listeria, and Legionella. Bajaj is also excited by the opportunity to follow produce as it makes its journey through the supply chain, allowing consumers to see information such as where the bagged salad was stored, if it was repackaged along the way, and other handling information that could change its quality or composition. Gathering this sort of data along the supply chain will also allow consumers to view and verify place of origin and product claims, such as organic or non-GMO. Pawluczyk also sees an opportunity to apply the technology to improve the quality of consumer-facing nutrition information. The nutrition panels on most grocery items are calculated on the basic product formula and reflects that aggregate ingredient used in the formulation from just one set of suppliers. For most of us, this information is all we need to make sound dietary choices. But elite athletes and those with health conditions that require prescriptive nutrients may be looking for more detailed information. PPO’s technology can already analyze protein, fat and water content of meat products, and Pawluczyk envisions a future in which measuring the chemical composition of food quickly will reflect a more accurate nutrition facts panel. PPO’s Smart Imaging System uses an artificial intelligence engine that collects and processes the data gathered by the system, providing food processors with relevant and usable information.

Through software modules and training, this AI engine is capable of using the data from the company’s detector modules to assess many different properties of food and provide rich insights over time. Pawluczyk hopes that one day this will be used to precisely measure the nutritional value of every food and food product based on the exact ingredients it contains.

While that may seem like more information than most of us need, as our population ages many experts predict that food will increasingly be prescribed and treated as medicine and preventative medicine.

There’s evidence that this trend is already emerging.

Consider Performance Kitchen, a US company whose CEO John Yamin announced that he is working to position functional food as a viable health management tool worthy of insurance company reimbursement.

Canada has a strong international reputation as having one of the best food safety systems in the world. Innovators working to improve traceability are helping Canada maintain that reputation and to export not just more great food products but food safety technology products, as well.

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CANADIANS AMONG 22 WINNERS OF CANADIAN FOOD BUSINESS VO L U M E 3 6, I S S U E 4 • 2 0 2 2

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NORTH AMERICAN GARDENS FOR GOOD PROGRAM

By Jana Manolakos

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our Canadian companies were among this year’s recipients of the Gardens for Good grant program which supports community gardens across North America and recognizes them for the role they play in increasing accessibility of fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables in their communities. Created by Nature’s Path, a large North American organic breakfast and snack food company, the program sifted through 274 applications this year before landing on the winners, each of whom received $5,000.

“Community gardens connect people to food – the growing of it and the sharing of its bounty,” says Jyoti Stephens, VP Mission and Strategy at Nature’s Path. “They can help increase food security by providing hyper-local access to healthy organic fruits and vegetables while also serving as a hub to connect people in communities to each other.”

According to the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, in the U.S. alone, food-at-home prices increased 3.5 percent compared to the 20-year historical level of 2% in 2021. In Canada, this January food costs grew 5.7% from a year earlier according to the Consumer Price Index. At the same time, food banks are seeing unprecedented demand.

Community gardens are seen as a partial solution to these issues.

The Gardens for Good program annually supports community gardens that provide fresh organic food for those who might not otherwise have access to it. Since the program’s initiation in 2010, Nature’s Path has donated more than $500,000 and supported 52 community garden projects.

“My grandfather was a berry farmer in the 1940’s and he taught my dad, to ‘always leave the soil better than you found it’,” says Arjan Stephens, General Manager at Nature’s Path. “This

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has grown into our mission. We support community gardens through our Gardens for Good program because they leave the soil and communities better.”

Community gardens provide numerous benefits including the provision of healthy foods, community gathering places, and educational programs on horticulture, nutrition and food preparation.

Winners were selected based on public voting, the ability to establish and maintain a garden, the compelling nature in which the garden was described, and a demonstrated need within the community. Special consideration was given to gardens run by and serving BIPOC communities impacted by food apartheid.

Among the winners, the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House Urban Farm in Vancouver, British Columbia is a new initiative. Its garden includes almost a full acre of beds that will provide food for its programs and a chance for community members to learn about gardening. The organization connected with Hives For Humanity to install bee hives after the pollinator crops are established.

The Tsi’thotuhutsya:te (The Creators Land) Community Healing Garden Project in Thames, Ontario, empowers marginalized Indigenous youth and their families, creating space for learning, healing and growing mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually, while growing their own food supply.

The West Island Mission is a non-profit organization that provides well-balanced, high quality food assistance and other related aid to the less fortunate living in the West Island of Montreal, Quebec.

The fourth Canadian grant went to the Shippagan Community Garden in New Brunswick, which feeds the neighbourhood with fresh, locally grown produce.

Winners also received a bundle of garden goodies from Grow Organic, a package of Nature's Path Organic food products, and a commemorative plaque.

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FEATURE

TREND TOWARD

PLANT-BASED PROTEINS leading to increased innovation within Canadian fish and seafood industry A shift in consumer behaviour precipitating a reassessment of the value of fish and seafood

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FEATURE

By Sean Tarry he Canadian seafood industry is a dynamic one. Dating back to the earliest activities of the First Nations and Inuit people, from the use of nets and traps to the introduction of the latest in fishing technologies and innovation, it’s an industry that’s been developing and evolving for thousands of years.

Today, the Canadian fish and seafood trade stands as a leader on the world stage. However, with recent shifts in consumer behaviour and preference toward an increased adoption and consumption of plant-based proteins, the industry is being forced to evolve further. And, according to Ben Wiper, Founder & CEO of 3F Waste Recovery, in Main Brook, NL, it’s an evolution that’s necessary, and one that will ultimately result in benefits to the entire planet.

“There has certainly been a relatively quick move by the Canadian consumer toward plant-based proteins recently,” he recognizes. “It’s a trend that continues to increase, and one that can only lead to good things given the challenges that we face today, including a growing population and lots of food insecurity.”

Wiper believes that developing ways in which low-cost, lowimpact proteins can be produced will become very important in protecting the environment. “There will be opportunities soon for producers and purveyors within the fish and seafood industry to positively contribute, too. Although bioprocessing is relatively new to the Canadian sector, over time, protein can be extracted from the fish by-products and purified for the creation of protein supplements. In the end, everyone should be moving toward the same target, which is figuring out a way to feed 10 billion people in 2050. And the Canadian fishing and seafood industry has the opportunity to make its own impact.,” he says.

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A different approach

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One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a consumer shift that sees a growing emphasis on health and wellness; as a result, consumers are seeking healthier and more sustainable food options. The global fish market has benefited from this, experiencing increased demand. In fact, according to the recent Statista Consumer Market Outlook, it’s estimated that the Canadian fish and seafood industry will reach $2.9 billion in 2025.

It's success and growth that’s recognized by Wiper. But he suggests that although the movement toward plant-based proteins is one that has yet to hit its stride in full, it represents a portion of that consumer shift and further changes to the market that those operating within Canada’s fish and seafood industry must take notice of. He says it’s a part of the shift in consumer behaviour and lifestyle that poses potential challenges to the sector. However, he also points out that, given the flexibility and agility of the industry in the country, it’s a shift that presents the chance to re-assess and re-evaluate strategies, and to begin considering a different approach concerning the way things are done and the extent to which product is utilized.

“There are massive opportunities for those operating in the Canadian fish and seafood sector to compete and succeed within a changing market,” he says.

“Some are currently looking at things and seem relatively comfortable with the status quo, which includes a number of consolidations. Others, however, are stepping outside of the box and beginning to enter into a lot more collaboration.

It’s resulting in the discovery of a great deal of processing efficiencies and facilitating the flow of fish. But by far the biggest opportunity in front of the producers of fish and seafood is in turning each species of fish, one by one, in the most profitable way, into a by-product-first fishery. At 3F, using our intellectual property that we’ve created, we’ve

been able to realize greater use of the product, increasing the by-product of the Atlantic cod to be worth more than 10 times the value of the seafood itself. To support this work, we’ve developed a proprietary algorithm that helps us predict which fish species are most susceptible to market change and disruption, identifying how we go about looking at all of the properties to figure out which ones we can create five to 10 times higher value from the by-product versus the underlying primary processed product. Over time, this is the biggest opportunity and a way to compete in a changing market.”

Increasing economic benefits and value

The consumer shift toward healthier and more sustainable options is one that’s also recognized by Paul Lansbergen, president of the Ottawa-based Fisheries Council of Canada, who adds that it’s simply accelerating a natural progression within the Canadian industry. He describes the fish and seafood sector in the country as a world leader in sustainability, which is governed and directed by a robust regulatory regime.

In fact, Fisheries and Oceans Canada reports that 94 percent of Canada’s commercial fish stocks are harvested sustainably.

Further, the adoption of independent third-party certification within the country is multiples higher than the global average.

And, with respect to food safety, it was the first sector to adopt a preventive control plan. It’s a reputation that’s been earned by the industry through diligence and creativity. And, he adds, it’s one that continues to evolve in the face of the plant-based trend.

“There is a growing number of people across the country who are seeking a plant-based diet,” he acknowledges. “And in their estimation, plant-based analogs provide them with more flexibility and diversity concerning the ways they eat.

At the moment, they represent a niche part of the market and are nowhere near replacing the real thing. However, there are some seafood companies around the world that are

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According to the recent Statista Consumer Market Outlook, it’s estimated that the Canadian fish and seafood industry will reach $2.9 billion in 2025

Continued innovation

Lansbergen goes on to explain that the average Canadian doesn’t eat the recommended two servings of fish and seafood per week, consuming closer to a single serving.

Raising awareness among the country’s general public through strong marketing and communication is going to be one of the Council’s priorities going forward. However, he says that supporting much of the Council’s efforts during the next couple decades, driving the work that it conducts, will be continued innovation around everything that it does.

“We’re going to ensure that we continue to create and develop a lot of innovation around the food products that we produce, as well as non-food products, in order to generate additional value. With respect to food products, the innovation is going to be focused on satisfying the convenience needs of today’s time-starved consumer.

We’re also going to be developing a consumer guide meant to help Canadian consumers better understand the things to look for as well as providing them with some tips and

tricks concerning preparation and meal ideas. It’s all about educating Canadian consumers, helping them realize the full value of fish and seafood and enticing them to buy more of the product that we produce.”

Positioning for the future

There’s no questioning the strength of the fish and seafood industry in Canada. It’s one that continues to build on the successes of previous years, improving processes and finding efficiencies. It’s growth that is reflective of relentless innovation within the sector and the reputation and respect that it’s earned through hundreds of years of the innovation that Lansbergen refers to. And it’s helping to drive the industry further forward.

However, it’s all part of an evolution that Wiper believes is unfolding a little quicker than some operating within the industry might realize and is one that will alter the Canadian fish and seafood market for years to come.

“The time is coming very soon when the old ways of looking at fisheries and processors will come to an end. Within a generation or so, the global fish and seafood industry is not going to be the same. A combination of consumer demand for healthier, more sustainable options, increased governance and scientific innovation is going to precipitate a change.

And the sooner fish processors realize this change and start to invest in increasing the value of the product they produce by transitioning their business, the better positioned they’ll be to increase the value of their operation and meet the evolving needs of the Canadian and global consumer.”

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entering into that market and provide that service to customers. At Fisheries Council of Canada, we’re approaching our work with the future needs of the consumer and the planet in mind. Our Blue Economy strategy discussion with the government, including both the wild capture and aquaculture sides, resulted in a joint vision of where we want to be 20 years from now. We want to be a top three global best quality and sustainable producer of seafood. If we can do that, we think that we can double economic benefits gleaned from the industry, double the value of the industry, and double domestic consumption of fish and seafood.”

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A TASTE OF...

S H OWCA S I N G T H E

VERSATILITY OF CANADIAN BEANS CANADIAN FOOD BUSINESS VO L U M E 3 6, I S S U E 4 • 2 0 2 2

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By Christopher Marinangeli

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f the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that Canadians are familiar with the nutritive value of beans. Early days saw empty grocery store shelves where canned and bags of dry beans were previously abundant, as uncertainty around supply chains caused Canadians to stockpile nutrient-dense foods. However, even before the pandemic, dry beans were and continued to be a staple in the pantries of Canadians, often reserved for recipes such as chili, stews, or tacos. But the versatility of Canadian beans goes well beyond more traditional recipes, which is why Pulse Canada is working to inject a modern and passionate sentiment into beans by emphasizing their taste and versatility as a nutritious and locally grown source of plant protein.

Few Canadians realize the beans they have in their cupboard were grown right in their backyard—with several varieties, from black beans to kidney beans to pinto beans, grown by farmers across Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta. In fact, Canada is leading global producer of dry beans. Consumed as a source of nutritious plant-based protein for centuries across cultures,

Canadian dry beans not only support a sustainable local economy, they also offer positive benefits for those consuming them regularly. A recent study conducted at the University of Guelph demonstrated that one cup of beans per day lowered “bad” cholesterol by 8% over four weeks. Also, it is impossible to escape national and international calls to increase consumption of plant-based protein in diets which may lead to a decrease in risk factors for chronic disease. Canada’s Food Guide acknowledges that many plant protein foods can boost the dietary fibre levels of diets, which has been associated with a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer. Where do beans fit? Just half a cup serving of dry beans adds 9 grams of plant protein and fibre to diets, not to mention iron, zinc, folate, magnesium, and potassium.

Grown by Canadian farmers, dry beans are an obvious choice for enhancing nutrient density of the diets of Canadians, but barriers exist. Even with the recent iteration of the Canada’s Food Guide, not enough Canadians are taking advantage of this multi-faceted and locally grown food. The lack of investment

A TASTE OF...

across the retail and foodservice sectors represents a missed opportunity both for the economy and for the consumer.

Canadian bean growers aim to change that.

In 2021, Pulse Canada engaged in a research project to define the equity of Canadian beans among Canadian consumers. While infrequent and non-consumers viewed beans as “boring,” “old-fashioned,” and “out-of-date,” various opportunities were shown to create a renewed value proposition linked to perceptions of “modern,” “creativity,” and “passion.” Understanding that 8 in 10 consumers agreed that dry beans are a good source of plant-based protein as a whole food to incorporate into changing diets, we decided to put that data to work.

Over the next year, Pulse Canada is working with chefs, dietitians, and farmers across Canada to show Canadians the versatility and elegance that varieties of Canadian beans can bring to the kitchen. In addition to nutritional attributes, a focus on taste and versatility to elevate foods in new recipes will underpin these efforts. The recently launched “Love Canadian

Beans” campaign aims to remind Canadians of the benefits of the beans in their pantry while showcasing exciting new ways to use them across meal occasions and events. What has also become apparent is that Canadians want Canadian food.

As trends around locally sourced food continues to resonate, our data show that less than half of Canadians know beans are grown by local farmers, at a time when 84% of respondents say they want foods produced by Canadian farmers.

With a robust supply chain and consumer alignment with the food experiences that beans offer, Canadian beans farmers are excited to provide Canadians with options that also foster the adoption of healthy plant-forward diets.

Christopher Marinangeli PhD RD, Senior Director, Research & Regulatory Affairs at Pulse Canada

C A N A D I A N F O O D B U S I N E S S.C O M

Black beans to kidney beans to pinto beans, grown by farmers across Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta. In fact, Canada is leading global producer of dry beans

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FOOD WARE

A big solution for mixing a range of doughs Built for strength, ease of cleaning, and reduced maintenance time, the AMF Open Frame Mixer is ideal for many dough types, ranging from 800 lbs (363 kg) to 3,200 lbs (1,452 kg).

A dough-cooling jacket and optional cooling package ensure consistency and final dough temperature control. A direct drive bowl tilts system eliminates the need for hydraulic chain or belt tilt components, and a single belt-driven, heavy-duty roller bar agitator provides shock load resistance. www.amfbakery.com

Organic baker’s yeast that fights acrylamide Kerry's Acryleast, distributed by Renaissance BioScience, is a natural, organic non-GMO baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) rich in asparaginase enzyme for acrylamide reduction. Acrylamide naturally forms in starchy food products during high-temperature cooking, including frying, baking, roasting, and industrial processing. Acryleast has a natural ability to consume asparagine much faster than other yeasts, enabling food manufacturers to significantly reduce the acrylamide content in their food products within timeframes better aligned with commercial food manufacturing. www.renaissancebioscience.com

Baking better bread and pasta CANADIAN FOOD BUSINESS VO L U M E 3 6, I S S U E 4 • 2 0 2 2

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For bakers seeking to manage the quality of their finished product, Perkin Elmer offers the Perten Glutomatic 2000 System. It identifies the amount and quality of gluten in flour, wheat, durum, and semolina. The Glutomatic test measures gluten strength as well as wet gluten content, dry gluten content, and gluten water binding capacity, all factors in determining dough elasticity, gas retention, and expansion properties when baking. www.perkinelmer.com

A whale of a scale Mettler Toledo’s floor scales, like the Model PFK988-E3000 can record the weight of items up to 6,000 kg, are robust platforms available in many different sizes and designed for weighing loads from 600 kg to more than 25,000 kg in a variety of industries and applications from food to pharmacy operations. These platforms may be individually configured to meet your precision, quality, and environmental needs with options that include hygienic design for easy cleaning, hazardous area approvals for safety, and a broad range of accessories. www.mt.com

Rapid, trace level detection Metrohm Instant SERS Analyzer (MISA) is a high-performance, portable analyzer system used for rapid trace level detection and identification of food additives, food contaminants, and illicit materials. MISA features a highefficiency spectrograph equipped with Metrohm’s unique Orbital-Raster-Scan technology. It has a minimal footprint and extended battery life, perfect for onsite testing or mobile laboratory applications. MISA offers various Laser Class 1 attachments for flexible sampling options. Analyzer operation is available through BlueTooth or USB connectivity. www.metrohm.com

FOOD WARE Easier temperature scans Anton Paar’s viscometers provide fast and stable thermoelectric temperature control via Peltier elements. Based on this feature, you can easily perform temperature scans or measure viscosity at a series of alternating temperature values.

Without thermostatic baths or refrigerating circulators, you save work and time and can rely on stable, accurate temperature values throughout your measurement. www.anton-paar.com

Software platform detects dangerous mycotoxins in grocery products Mycotoxins, toxic soil-borne fungi, may move undetected into finished products destined for supermarket shelves. The waters_connect software platform is suitable for the quantitative analysis of regulated mycotoxins, regulated tropane alkaloids, and a range of emerging and masked mycotoxins, and is now available on Waters’ core Xevo tandem quadrupole family of mass spectrometers. The software reduces data review time, processes large sample batches, and boosts data integrity. www.waters.com

New flowmeters unveiled

Tried and true mercury analysis The challenges in mercury determination are well known to analysts who have often had to face a number of issues due to either the tedious sample preparation process or the analysis step. The latter, even with the latest generation of ICP-MS or cold vapour systems, may create a memory effect even after long cleaning cycles. That can be avoided with the DMA-80, distributed through ATS Scientific, which can analyze any matrix (solid, liquid, or gas) without any pre-treatment or chemical additions in as little as six minutes. ats-scientific.com

Authentication of the Botanical Origin of Dietary Ingredients Authentication of the botanical origin of dietary ingredients enriched in oligomeric polyphenols is challenging. Among Bruker’s new range of MALDI instruments featuring advanced technologies, the MALDI-TOF MS is well suited for characterizing the unique structural features of heterodispersed oligomeric polyphenols in dietary supplements formulated with enriched botanical extracts. MALDI-TOF MS is an advanced analytic tool that provides several significant advantages over more conventional techniques, including unparalleled throughput and speed of analysis, as well as specificity and accuracy. www.bruker.com

A sustainable alternative to plastic bag closures Kwik Lok has introduced an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bag closures for the European, Australian, and Canadian bakery and produce industries.

Composed entirely of natural cellulose fibre, it provides the same reliability as the traditional Kwik Lok, while reducing plastic. Composed of 100% paper board without any plastic, the product answers consumer demand for a bag closure they can compost at home. It has no petroleum chemical components or derivatives, and is made from a standard paper grade that is often used in food packaging. www.kwiklok.com

C A N A D I A N F O O D B U S I N E S S.C O M

Krohne recently unveiled a range of innovative flowmeters for food applications. The Krohne Optimass Coriolis mass flowmeters are suitable for all process and custody transfer applications. Measuring mass, volume flow, density, and concentration of liquids and gases, Optimass is available in several designs, from twin bent to single straight tube. All Optimass flowmeters provide continuous flow measurement, even with entrained gas.

This makes them a great choice for dairy milk receiving, mayonnaise, and shortening with up to 20 percent entrained nitrogen (N2), and ice cream overrun measurement applications. www.krohne.com

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