Speakers

Food in Canada’s editor, Nithya Caleb, moderated a webinar on this topic earlier this year. Panelists were Martin Gooch, PhD, CEO, Value Chain Management International (VCMI); Sarah Acchione, Procurement Manager, Italpasta; and Leonardo Giglio, Optimist & CEO, Tempo Flexible Packaging.

Martin Gooch, PhD, CEO, Value Chain Management International

Dr. Martin Gooch is co-founder and CEO of Value Chain Management International (VCMI), a global consulting company that helps businesses, primarily in the agri-food and seafood industries, enhance their long-term profitability and environmental sustainability. Packaging related analysis and innovations completed by the VCMI team in North America and Europe include optimizing food packaging and merchandizing options from environmental, economic and consumer perspectives. Martin holds a PhD and master’s degree in agri-food management, a bachelor’s degree in international business, along with qualifications in farm management and agricultural production. In 2013, Martin received Bayer’s “Outstanding Canadian” award for his contribution to “Food Chain Partnerships.” In 2017, the Ontario Produce Marketing Association awarded Martin the Cory Clack-Streef “Produce Industry Person of the Year.” Martin is a member of the PAC Global Leadership Council.

Sarah Acchione, Procurement Manager, Italpasta

Sarah Acchione is the Procurement Manager at Italpasta, which was founded in 1989. A passion and love for food is the driving force behind the quality products it produces. Inspired by Italy but proudly 100 per cent Canadian owned and operated, Italpasta pasta is made with 100 per cent Canadian wheat. Sarah joined Italpasta’s sales department in 2007 and became a national account executive in 2012. In 2022, Sarah transitioned into the role of Procurement Manager. Sarah is also serving as a member on the Board of Directors for Food and Beverage Ontario from 2017-2020, returning in 2023.

Leonardo Giglio, Optimist & CEO, Tempo Flexible Packaging

Leonardo (Len) Giglio has been the Optimist & CEO of Tempo Flexible Packaging since January 2021, working alongside his sister, COO Lee-Anne Giglio. Having inherited his passion for innovation from his father, co-founder and president, Joseph Giglio, Len is a driving force behind Tempo’s continuous improvement mindset. He is dedicated to rethinking flexible packaging in a sustainable manner and driving positive impact not just within the organization, but also across the team, partners, and community. Since joining Team Tempo in 2007, Len has held various business development and marketing roles– gaining insight into the practical and technical aspects of packaging production and understanding the specific needs of retailers and brand owners. This wealth of knowledge has been instrumental in the development of Tempo’s award-winning, recycle-ready solution line – HarmonyPack. An outspoken advocate for eliminating plastic waste and better end-of-life options for flexible plastics, Len serves on the advisory board of the Canada Plastics Pact.

Webinar Summary

At the outset, Nithya explained the policy changes impacting food packaging. In 2022, a country-wide ban on single-use plastics came into effect. In summer 2023, the federal government issued a pre-planning pollution prevention notice with proposed goals to weed out plastic from food packaging. This spring, the federal government launched the federal plastics registry, which requires plastic resin manufacturers, producers of plastic products, and service providers to report each year on the quantity and types of plastic they put on the Canadian market and how that plastic moves through the economy. These policy changes have significantly impacted the sector.

Impact of recent policies

“I foresee that the proposed policies would lead to three overarching outcomes: increase prices to consumers, reduce food availability, and increase environmental impact,” explained Gooch.

Acchione shared that these policies would increase the cost of packaging, which would inevitably be passed onto consumers, not an ideal situation given the market conditions.

Giglio was more optimistic, especially about the plastics registry. He believes the data collected by the registry would help us make the right decisions about packaging and reducing plastic pollution.

The importance of plastic in packaging

Acchione explained why plastic is essential in food packaging.

“There are a few reasons as to why it is essential in food packaging. One is protection. It protects fragile and vulnerable products throughout the supply chain and shields them from contamination, such as moisture, humidity, gases, micro-organisms, insects and light. Another is prevention. It preserves our products for a good shelf life. It prevents waste. It avoids spillage. It allows products to be transported over greater distances because we can stack products. It makes our transportation and supply chains much more efficient. It can also be printed on, allowing important information to be displayed on the product, she shared.

Giglio added that plastic is very cost-effective.

A broken system

Gooch was candid about the systemic failures that’s exacerbating plastic pollution in Canada.

“Every system has three key components. The product, the process and the infrastructure. The current focus is on the product [plastic],” he explained. The processes and infrastructure as well as how these three factors align haven’t been widely discussed in Canada. Gooch is of the view that we can have a properly functioning system only by allowing industry to take the lead.

Recycling issues

Acchione highlighted the inconsistencies companies like Italpasta face when it comes to recycling of their packaging. Most of the flexible packaging in the Canadian food industry is either polyethylene or polypropylene. They are recyclable in theory and are being recycled at many cities across the globe. However, in Canada, where recycling is done at the municipal level, there are some facilities that cannot recycle these products. Acchione would love to see some changes on that front.

Giglio added that many municipalities don’t have the wherewithal to recycle bioplastics, which is touted as an alternative to fossil fuel-based plastics. Another issue with bioplastics is the cost, which is significantly higher than traditional plastic packaging.

Alternative materials

One of the major challenges with new materials is the need for R&D to ensure it meets the needs of the F&B processor. It would be cumbersome and challenging to tweak packaging lines and test new material if one doesn’t have a dedicated R&D team or line. The other obvious hurdle is the need to potentially install a whole new packaging line, which is an expensive proposition for SMEs.

Additionally, while you can have the most recyclable packaging solution possible, it’ll become unrecyclable when you apply certain adhesives or inks on it.

Solutions

The panelists agreed that utilizing energy from waste would be good option instead of sending plastic waste to landfills.

Another important step in implementing a robust circular economy around plastic would be to simplify the types of plastic we use as well as segregating the types of plastic that are used in food versus used elsewhere.

There was a universal call among all panelists to have greater alignment between governments to enable efficient, effective blue box systems across the country.

We need one system, one standard, they said, because most of the companies do business in more than one municipality, and it’s really hard to create a packaging format across multiple provinces with multiple standards. Standardization would definitely be hugely beneficial.

Giglio acknowledged, “Today there might not be the perfect solution that’s either economically affordable or just feasible for the current equipment you have in your facility, but like every three to six months there’s something new happening in these materials that we’re generating. It’s constantly evolving. We’re learning. So over the next few months, if something’s not working, let’s try again.”

Watch the full discussion here.

This webinar series on “Trends and Innovations in Food” was sponsored by BioMérieux. Click here to watch the first webinar on “The Ozempic Effect” and here to watch the second webinar in this series on “AI’s Role in F&B Processing.”

A recent webinar organized by Food in Canada brought together industry leaders from Unilever, the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN), and 6Seeds to delve into the multifaceted applications of AI in the F&B sector.

Speakers

Led by Gary Bogdani from Unilever, Nestor Gomez of CFIN, and Andreas Düss of 6Seeds, the webinar, moderated by Food in Canada’s editor, Nithya Caleb, offered valuable insights into the role of AI in F&B manufacturing.

Gary Bogdani, Head of Horizon3 AI Innovation Labs, Unilever

With a degree in engineering, Gary Bogdani is a data and advanced analytics leader with more than 25 years of experience in technology and business. As a strategic and thought leader, he has helped create a strong vision for transformation through analytics for Unilever in North America, leading a multi-year strategy and roadmap to further advance the use of AI in business decision making. Gary leads the global AI innovation CoE (Horizon3 Labs) established in Toronto in November 2023. The only global AI innovation centre for Unilever, Horizon3 Labs is focused on accelerating the generation of new AI concepts, designs, and projects that can be scaled and shared across the business globally. Gary strongly supports research and innovation as well as investment in developing AI/Data Science talent, firmly believing in the evolving role of technology in the workplace and its importance in digital transformation.

Nestor Gomez, Chief Technology Officer, Canadian Food Innovation Network

Andreas is a co-founder and COO of 6 Seeds, a consultancy firm specializing in F&B. He started his career working with some of U.K.’s top ad agencies as a creative director and brand strategist, working with technology giants like Canon, Cisco, Sony, and Google. After he moved to Canada, he co-founded Nourish Food Marketing in 2012. In 2022, he embarked on a new venture. With a vision to marry 30 billion food data points with the latest in AI technology, Andreas, along with Google alumni Kate Burns, established 6 Seeds, which seeks to empower clients worldwide with data- and technology-driven innovation and growth.

Webinar Summary

Unilever, a global leader in consumer goods, has been leveraging AI extensively across its operations. Bogdani shed light on Unilever’s use of AI in diverse areas such as product development, marketing, sustainability, and supply chain management.

“We’ve used AI to create new flavours of ice cream, optimize the design of the packaging of our products, as a marketing space to personalize ad recommendations, automate chatbots or voice assistance and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in sustainable material sourcing,” he said.

With over 400 AI-driven products in production, Unilever is at the forefront of AI adoption in the industry. The company has also established its global AI lab in Toronto based on the city’s reputation as an AI hub with easy access to collaborative ecosystems, and strategic positioning in data science.

Gomez emphasized how AI can enhance efficiency and reduce waste in F&B processing. Drawing on examples from innovative companies, he highlighted AI’s role in production forecasting, inventory management, and real-time monitoring of temperature changes in manufacturing facilities and transportation.

“AI can help retailers and foodservice operators plan their inventory and reduce spoilage. AI can be used to train machine learning or AI models to use temperature, humidity, and time and predict the shelf life of perishable goods. That helps businesses make better decisions about inventory rotation and discounting products that are nearing their end of life to avoid waste,” he said.

He further added that by harnessing AI technologies like machine learning and computer vision, businesses can optimize operations, minimize waste, and ensure product quality and safety.

Düss elaborated on how AI can revolutionize consumer approaches in the F&B industry.

Using the example of Odd Bunch, a subscription service offering imperfect produce, he illustrated how AI can dynamically match supply with demand, reducing food waste while offering personalized solutions to consumers.

“[The company offers] a meal plan specifically designed through what the supply chain has available at that moment in time. And that is just one example of how you can react in real-time to the availability of food that would otherwise go to waste,” he said.

By leveraging AI-driven insights, companies can optimize resource utilization, adapt to market fluctuations, and enhance customer satisfaction, he summarized.

Exploring AI applications

Supply chain management emerged as a pivotal area where AI is driving transformative change.

Bogdani highlighted Unilever’s AI-powered forecasting algorithms, which analyze historical data and market trends to generate accurate predictions.

“What we built is a series of AI algorithms that can analyze historical data, market trends like consumer preferences and other factors that allow us to generate an accurate forecast and prediction,” he said.
These forecasts enable Unilever to optimize inventory levels, reduce overstocking, and enhance service levels.

Gomez further emphasized AI’s role in creating transparent and sustainable supply chains, citing examples of companies leveraging AI and blockchain to trace product provenance and ensure quality and safety.

The discussion also delved into how AI is revolutionizing product development and marketing strategies. Bogdani underscored AI’s ability to analyze real-time consumer behaviour, enabling businesses to develop products aligned with market preferences and regulatory requirements.

Additionally, Düss highlighted AI’s role in personalized marketing and efficiency analysis, enabling businesses to optimize advertising strategies and enhance consumer engagement.

The human-AI collaboration

What’s noteworthy is that throughout the webinar, the panelists emphasized that AI is an enabler, not a replacement, for human expertise. By leveraging AI technologies, businesses can augment human capabilities, accelerate innovation, and drive sustainable growth in the F&B industry.

Challenges and opportunities

In the manufacturing sector, AI is a tool for streamlining operations and driving efficiency. Panelists emphasized the need for companies to adapt to AI technologies, citing its potential to create new jobs while transforming existing ones.

While saying this, the speakers acknowledged challenges in AI integration, including ethics, privacy, and regulatory compliance.

Bogdani emphasized Unilever’s commitment to addressing these concerns by prioritizing privacy and security, adhering to regulations, and implementing transparent processes.

He highlighted the importance of accountability and human oversight in AI-driven decision-making processes.

Gomez echoed Bogdani’s sentiments, emphasizing the need for clear objectives and guidelines when implementing AI solutions.

He advised companies, especially SMEs with limited resources, to identify specific business problems and prioritize investments based on potential return on investment (ROI).

He further stressed the importance of leveraging readily available AI tools, partnering with industry experts, and investing in employee skill development to maximize the benefits of AI adoption.

The panel also addressed regulatory challenges associated with AI integration in product development and labelling.

As the discussion progressed, the panelists shared their visions for an AI-empowered future in the F&B manufacturing sector.

Bogdani highlighted the potential for personalized consumer experiences and enhanced operational efficiency through AI adoption.

Gomez emphasized AI’s role in driving economic development, boosting productivity, and reducing food waste.

Düss underscored the importance of levelling the playing field for smaller companies by enabling access to AI tools and fostering innovation.

In conclusion, the webinar provides valuable insights into how AI is reshaping the F&B industry. As businesses continue to harness the power of AI, the potential for innovation and transformation in the F&B sector remains limitless.

This webinar series on “Trends and Innovations in Food” is sponsored by BioMérieux. Click here to watch the first webinar on “The Ozempic Effect.”

The next webinar is on “The Next Wave of Food Packaging: Are You Ready?” This will be on Thursday, May 2, 1-2 pm ET. Registrations are ongoing. For more information and to register, click here.

According to a recent study published in the Lancet, over 1 billion people worldwide struggle with obesity. This makes it the most common form of malnutrition. In Canada, about one in four adults, around 26.6 per cent, live with obesity. So, it’s not surprising that the global market for weight-loss drugs like Ozempic is booming and expected to reach $100B by 2035. These medicines are known to reduce food cravings. An early study by Numerator in the U.S. found that consumers using glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) medicines for weight-loss were spending less on packaged bakery, snacks, prepared foods, and beans & grains.

Are we seeing the end of growth as we know it or is there an opportunity for F&B manufacturers? This question was the focus of our recently concluded webinar on “The Ozempic Effect.”

Moderated by Food in Canada’s editor, Nithya Caleb, webinar attendees heard from industry experts such as Jo-Ann McArthur, president and founding partner, Nourish Food Marketing; Ricky Silver, CEO, Daily Harvest; and Jane Dummer, RD, food consultant.

Speakers

Jo-Ann McArthur, President and Founding Partner, Nourish Food Marketing

Jo-Ann spent her first career client-side, successfully connecting brands with consumers and retailers at Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Cadillac Fairview. As a divisional president of Molson Coors, and a member of its North America Management Board, she led the charge to sell more beer more profitably.

Now leading the agency she co-founded, Jo-Ann continues to build powerful strategies for food and beverage products in Canada, the U.S., and Europe. She works hands-on with the Nourish Team, guiding the creation of marketing plans that move products off shelves, into consumers’ shopping baskets, and, perhaps most importantly, into their hearts.

Ricky Silver, CEO, Daily Harvest

Ricky Silver is the CEO of Daily Harvest, the company on a mission to improve human and planetary health by making it convenient to eat more sustainably grown, organic fruits and vegetables every day. Previously, Ricky was Daily Harvest’s president and chief supply chain officer, managing teams and work streams spanning new product development, food safety and quality, sourcing, manufacturing and fulfillment operations. Prior to joining Daily Harvest, Ricky was the director of innovation at Vita Coco, the global leader in ready-to-drink coconut water where he led the development of the brand’s portfolio diversification into new categories including coconut milk, coconut oil, sparkling waters and more. Ricky started his career at PepsiCo where he leveraged his chemistry and food science backgrounds to manage multiple R&D platforms across the business. Ricky received his MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business and his master’s in chemistry from NYU. His passion for food stems from his years as a personal chef in Manhattan.

Jane Dummer, RD, Food Consultant

With over 60 successful projects, Jane Dummer, RD, and her team partner with North American food and beverage companies in the agriculture, nutrition and health sectors to build creative solutions that deliver results. As an industry thought leader, author and writer, Jane is a frequent speaker, guest and commentator with over 250 insightful presentations, interviews, podcasts, articles and blogs.

Webinar Summary

Nithya kicked off the webinar with a check in with Jo-Ann about the 2024 Nourish Trend Report, which spoke about the end of growth because of overall population decline as well as the Ozempic effect.

Jo-Ann explained that in the near future, we’re going to hit peak population because of a number of reasons. Further, there’s a shift in how we view obesity. It is now seen as a chronic condition that can be treated with drugs. This is going to change the way people think about food. Up to 64 per cent of people in Canada are either overweight or obese, so most of the population is consuming too many calories.

“We think that with increased availability of these drugs, total calorie consumption will start to go [down]. F&B manufacturers need to at least have it on their radar and do some scenario planning. I’ve been in this business long enough to remember when gluten-free first started and everybody talked about that being a fad. But it’s here to stay, and I think it could be the same thing here,” she added.

Food consumption trends

Ricky said convenience really matters for consumers. For a long time, the industry worked on developing foods that were easier and more convenient to consume. He believes people are connecting the dots between their medical realities and the foods they eat. They want something that’s objectively good for them. He felt there will be overall growth, but it’ll come in different ways.

If you’re not offering convenience and not connecting back to how consumers feel after eating your food, them it’s going be harder to win in this industry, he warned.

From a wellness perspective, Jane highlighted consumers desire for better-for-you products as well as nutrient-dense foods, especially snacks that are convenient, delicious, and affordable.

Jo-Ann said consumers are looking for foods that have a second function or offer a little bit more for them. For instance, Annie’s has launched Super Mac products with additional protein.

Companion meals

Ricky’s company Daily Harvest offers ready-to-eat chef-crafted meals with organic fruits and vegetables. They cater to a range of nutritional needs. Recently, they launched a series of companion meals for GLP-1 medication users. Since these medicines suppress cravings, Daily Harvest’s meals tend to be high in fibre, low in saturated fat, free of cholesterol, and have no added sugars.

Impact on food consumption

A registered dietitian, Jane offered a holistic picture of how these medicines work and their impact on food consumption. While originally designed for diabetes, we’re seeing people use GLP-1 medicines for weight-loss. These medicines actually mimic the GLP-1 hormone that’s naturally secreted in our bodies to help release insulin and suppress hunger. She added in her 30-years as an RD, she hasn’t seen such an effective drug for weight loss.

“If the medicine is working, people will be consuming less. They’ll be craving less [food] as their stomachs will be emptying at a slower pace,” she said.

Jo-Ann urged people to be more mindful of what they’re consuming, as they’re eating less. You’ve got to make sure “every one of those calories does almost double duty” as well as getting rid of empty calories such as sugary or alcoholic beverages.

Concerns

Jo-Ann mentioned there’s a role for manufacturers to play not only when consumers are having GLP-1 medicines, but also during the pre- and post- medicine use phases. In her view, people may use these drugs occasionally to get their weight within recommended limits.

Jane stressed that obesity is a chronic disease that has many factors. It’s not just related to food consumption or lack of exercises. It’s related to genetics, your biological sex as well as age. Further, food cravings can change at different life cycles, so manufacturers need to be aware of this class of drugs.

Product innovations

The focus must be on “palatable, nutrient-dense foods that people can afford,” said Jane. Manufacturers should consider offering hi-protein products with a good mix of amino acids to counteract muscle waste due to rapid loss of weight with these medicines, she recommended.

Jo-Ann spoke about creating foods with a function especially protein-rich products to preserve/increase muscle mass. She also felt portion sizes are going to be important. Hence, there’s an opportunity for frozen foods because you can offer portion-controlled meals in that format.

“Food is also about joy. So how do you preserve the joy in eating? There’s this tiny treat culture, which we first saw in Tik Tok. How can you serve up those tiny treats that still bring the joy in food because eating should not be a chore,” she stressed.

“Certainly brands and manufacturers should look at it as an opportunity. Not as an endpoint to something, but rather as a new opportunity to support consumers in a different way,” added Ricky.

This webinar series on “Trends and Innovations in Food” is sponsored by BioMérieux.

The next webinar is on “AI’s Role in F&B Processing,” which will be held on Thursday, April 11, 1-2 pm ET. The final session will be on “The Next Wave of Food Packaging: Are You Ready?” This will be on Thursday, May 2, 1-2 pm ET. Registrations are ongoing. For more information and to register, click here.

He spoke about:

• pre-transaction planning;
• finding the right buyer / seller;
• preliminary information review;
• valuation;
• negotiating the letter of intent;
• deal structuring; and
• confirmatory due diligence and closing.

The presentation also offered practical tips for maximizing shareholder value, common challenges and the pitfalls to avoid.

This webinar was sponsored by Kroll Corporate Finance.

This 1-hour web discussion focused on the different pathways to net-zero for food manufacturing companies and the challenges on the path. The panel shared insights on emerging ingredients that helped create net-zero pathways in the food industry and discuss the topics of energy sources, policy making and meat production.

Panelist: Christine Couvelier

Christine Couvelier is the President of Trendi, where the mission is to rescue food and feed the world. With over 40 years of experience, she is the past Executive Chef of President’s Choice, Director of Culinary and Beverage/Executive Chef at Cara Operations, and the Chair of The Chef School of George Brown College.

She worked on Global Innovation for Unilever and was the first Director of Culinary Strategy at Maple Leaf Foods, where she worked on the vision, design and construction of the ThinkFOOD! Centre. Additionally, she develops a Trend Watch Report focusing on emerging, developing and existing trends.

Couvelier is National Chair of the Board of Directors for Taste Canada and a member of the IWF (International Women’s Forum).

Panelist: Bruce Taylor  

Bruce Taylor, MRE, FCAE, P.Eng., President, Enviro-Stewards Inc., founded Enviro-Stewards, which is a Best for the World classified B Corporation and the only Canadian company to win a Global SDG award. Ten of their engineering projects have won national sustainability awards, including helping Maple Leaf Foods become the World’s First Major Carbon Neutral Food Company and helping 50 Canadian Food and Beverage processors to reduce food loss by $240,000/yr each (link).

He also founded the safe water social venture project that was featured in B the change magazine, MEDA magazine, and a TEDx talk.

Moderator: Leslie Ewing

Leslie Ewing, Executive Director at Plant-Based Foods of Canada has over twenty-five years of experience in the consumer-packaged goods sector, and has been instrumental in developing Canada’s rapidly growing plant-based foods industry. As Executive Director, she has assembled a unique organization that includes manufacturers, ingredient companies, VCs, brokers, distributors, and retailers in the mission of growing the plant-based segment in Canada.

In addition to leading PBFC in its advocacy and education work, she launched its first National Plant Based Food Week this year, building an impactful annual platform to showcase the industry in Canada. She is also a founding member of the International Plant Based Foods Working Group that collaborates with similar associations around the globe on common interests.

Ewing is also an Advisory Board member for The Road to $25 Billion for Canada’s Plant-Based Food & Ingredient Ecosystem and Algae-C, a plant-based active pharma ingredient (APIs) company.

We, therefore, decided to tackle this question during the third session of our 2023 Food Innovation in Canada webinar series on Wednesday, May 3, from 1 to 2 p.m. ET.

Speakers were:

• David Brown, Co-Founder & COO, Chinova Bioworks;
• David Gauthier, VP Commercialization, Natural Products Canada; and
• Fei Luo, Co-Founder & CEO, Liven Proteins.

Peter Henderson, President & Chief Experience Officer, Ideovation, moderated the session.

Fei Luo

Fei Luo is the CEO and Co-founder of Liven proteins, a natural ingredient company making animal-free, functional protein ingredients to support formulation of sustainable, nutritious and delicious food and beverages. The company is currently focusing on producing animal-free collagen using precision fermentation, the first-of-its-kind in Canada. Fei has over 10 years of research and industry experience in environmental biotechnology. Prior to Liven, Fei was an environmental engineer at Ecometrix, creating biotechnology-based solutions for environmental remediation and biodiversity monitoring for the energy and resource industry. Fei has a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Toronto.

David Brown

David Brown is the Co-Founder & COO of Chinova Bioworks. Before Chinova Bioworks, he founded and served as CTO at MycoDev Group. His experience includes working for several high-profile universities and federal government laboratories across Canada. He has a strong background in biopolymers and develops sustainable processing methods to produce them. He has patented several innovations and won awards, such as the Governor General’s Innovation Award in 2017 and the University of Alberta Alumni Horizon Award in 2018. Brown also serves on the Assessment Committee for the Governor General’s Innovation Awards.

David Gauthier

As lead for all Natural Products Canada (NPC) commercialization programs, David Gauthier is responsible for the overall direction of the organization’s portfolio and the management of the individual companies within it. David works closely with the CEO and the commercialization sub-committee of the NPC board to lead the team in identifying high-potential opportunities in natural products. With over 25 years’ experience in the innovation commercialization landscape, David is a great judge of the viability of a product or technology and its market potential.

Moderator Peter Henderson

Peter is a futuristic connector of people, businesses and ideas. He has predicted many food trends before they happened, including the current plant-powered food movement. Peter specializes in bringing food and technology leaders together to strategize on complex subjects, and build profitable brands, products, categories and platforms. Prior to starting Ideovation in 2011, Peter held various brand and business building roles with McCain, Nestle, Borden Catelli, Lynch Foods and the Government of British Columbia.

During the second part of the series on April 5, we turned our attention on “Emerging F&B Processing Technologies.”

This one-hour web discussion focused on new and emerging food processing technologies like precision fermentation and artificial intelligence.

Panelists included Alexandra (Alex) Barlow, VP-Programs, Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN); Dr. Jitin Bali, Chief Scientific Officer, The Cultivated B; and Matias Muchnick, CEO and Founder, NotCo.

Alexandra Barlow

Alexandra (Alex) Barlow is an economic development advocate and business advisor with over a decade of experience in writing, researching, and administering government incentives at both the provincial and federal levels. She loves learning about where and how disruptive products, technologies and services originate and has leveraged her curiosity into funding success for her clients, enabling hundreds of Canadian food businesses to access over $300 million in government incentives.

Dr. Jitin Bali

Dr. Jitin Bali works as CSO in the Cultivated b GmBh, Heidelberg, Germany. He has been associated with the company since its Inception. He oversees scientific/technological operations along with prioritizing research directions for current and future markets. Specifically, he is involved in creating various cellular resources for diverse products ranging from single peptides to complex cellular systems, thereby delivering innovative solutions. He obtained his PhD in neuroscience from the University of Zürich. Afterwards, he worked in ETH Zürich and MPI-AGE on various scientific topics. Now he is actively involved in pioneering the innovative work at the Cultivated b GmBh.

Matias Muchnick

Matias Muchnick is the CEO and founder of NotCo, an international plant-based food tech company that achieved unicorn status at a valuation of $1.5 billion in 2021. Matias has also been instrumental in forming a joint venture with the Kraft Heinz Company, called The Kraft Heinz Not Company, to reimagine global food production and advance it toward a more sustainable future. He is often called upon as an expert, providing insight on the future of plant-based, the role technology has on the food we eat, and global innovation.

Moderator Mark Juhasz

Mark Juhasz is the CEO of Harvest Insights. He leads market and consumer research, analytics and insights for new partnerships and business development. He has a background primarily in the consumer goods and agri-food sector, working with organizations such as the Canadian Food Innovation Network; Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada; the Canadian Institute for Food Science and Technology; Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada; ALUS Canada; the Lang School of Business at the University of Guelph; Agriculture and Agrifood Canada; Global Affairs Canada; and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

We kicked-off the series with a dedicated session on “Automation in Food Manufacturing” on Wednesday, March 22.

This one-hour web discussion focused on automation solutions that are helping create a more efficient and smarter food manufacturing facility.

Panelists included Sean Wells, Business Development Manager for Food & Beverage Industry, Convergix Automation Solutions; Nadia Andruchow, RD, Operations Director, Henry’s Tempeh; and D Wayne McIntyre, CEO & Co-Founder, Relocalize.

Sean Wells

Since 1998, Sean Wells has been working in the robotics and automation market with Fanuc, ABB, Kuka, Yamaha and Nachi robotic equipment. Starting out as a mechanical draftsman and transitioning through project management, a SME role and currently as a business development manager, Wells continues to work with customers to develop and deploy automation, controls and robotic solutions for manufacturing. Since 2012, he has been working specifically in the food and beverage segment on packaging line solutions (palletizing and case packing) as well as upstream primary food handling applications (tray loading, thermoformer loading, inspection/rejection, etc.).

Nadia Andruchow

Nadia Andruchow, RD, is the Operations Director at Henry’s Tempeh, a manufacturer of Canadian organic tempeh. She recently marked her third year of working at the company after working for several years in health care and management. Andruchow leverages her background to ensure Henry’s Tempeh maintains a food safe manufacturing operation that adheres to strict quality standards. She is passionate about her multidisciplinary role, where she executes business and plant operations (and everything in between). She has recently co-ordinated several projects that have increased the level of automation within the business’ production process, which in turn, increased plant efficiency and reduced product loss.

Wayne McIntyre

Wayne is the Founder and CEO of Relocalize, a supply chain technology company decarbonizing food supply chains with autonomous microfactories. With over 20 years of experience helping technology companies accelerate their growth, he has a diverse background in strategy, law and technology, and has a proven track record of leading successful growth transformations, building commercial teams, and developing and implementing growth and M&A strategies for both large and small technology companies. Wayne‘s past leadership roles include founder of CRM technology startup Psykler, managing director of CAE Flightscape (a subsidiary of public simulation technology leader CAE), leading a growth strategy, M&A, and a corporate incubator at CAE Inc., and advising tech CEOs and boards on commercial organizational design and transformation. Wayne has a BSc, a JD and an MBA. He is also an avid outdoor adventurer who loves exploring the world by canoe, kayak and trail.

Moderator Jim Beretta

Jim Beretta, president at Customer Attraction, a marketing consulting company specializing in the automation and robotics industry, moderated the session. He is best known as the driving force behind marketing and branding for one of North America’s largest automation integrators. Beretta operates his marketing consultancy and works with automation integrators, manufacturers, robot companies and the automation community around the world. He is a speaker and moderator at industry conferences and is an expert at marketing and branding. He also operates The Robot Industry Podcast.

Participants learnt about the various types of grease interceptors (GIs), the requirements for GIs in food production facilities in Canada and the North American performance standards applicable to GIs.

Further, it covered how to size a GI for a given application as well as how and when to service the interceptor to ensure longevity and code compliance.

This webinar is sponsored by Canplas Industries Ltd.

On June 1, Bill Greuel, CEO, Protein Industries Canada; Chris Theal, founder, Phyto Organix Foods; and Leslie Ewing, executive director, Plant-Based Foods Canada, explained the future of the plant-based food sector and the opportunities available for food and beverage processors. Peter Henderson, president and chief experience officer, Ideovation, moderated the discussion.

On May 4, 12 p.m. ET, Jon Duschinsky, executive vice-president, Anthesis Provision; Julie Poitras-Saulnier, CEO and co-founder, Loop Mission; and Shawn Leggett, president and founder, Ground-Up Eco Ventures, will explore the myriad of ways in which upcycling can mitigate food waste, create a circular food economy and help Canada meets its sustainability goals.

On April 6, 11:30 a.m. ET, Elaine Corbett, PhD, Director, Sector Innovation and Programs at Ontario Genomics; Dana McCauley, Chief Experience Officer, Canadian Food Innovation Network; Jennifer Côté, CEO & Co-Founder, Opalia; and Mark Juhasz, PhD, Principal and Founder, Harvest Insights, took a deep dive into the world of cellular agriculture, and its potential to disrupt the food industry.