Processing – Food In Canada

New study finds microplastics in several protein foods

ncaleb — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 16:23:28 +0000

A new study led by researchers at Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto found microplastic particles in 88 per cent of protein food samples tested. The samples were drawn from 16 different protein types destined for U.S. consumers.

Protein types included store-purchased breaded shrimp, minced pollock, fish sticks, white Gulf shrimp (headless/shell-on), Key West pink shrimp (headless/shell-on), Alaska Pollock fillets (skinless), chicken nuggets, top sirloin steaks, pork loin chops, chicken breasts, plant-based nuggets, plant-based fish sticks, plant-based ground beef, and tofu blocks.

While scientists have long documented the presence of microplastics in the digestive tracts of commercial fish and shellfish like salmon, halibut and oysters, there has been little research into whether these microplastics are entering the filets of the fish – the parts that are actually eaten by people; and little research into terrestrial protein sources like beef and chicken that make up a large part of the American diet. In this study, microplastics were found in all 16 protein types tested, suggesting humans are likely eating microplastics no matter the source of protein they choose. Further, there were no statistical differences in microplastic concentrations between land- and ocean-sourced proteins.

“This is a startling reminder of just how prolific plastic pollution has become – humans live on land and yet, seafood samples are just as likely to be contaminated with plastics as are terrestrial-derived proteins,” said study co-author Dr. Britta Baechler, a marine biologist and associate director of Plastics Science at Ocean Conservancy. “There’s no escaping them no matter what you eat, it seems. The plastic pollution crisis is impacting all of us, and we need to take action to address its many forms.”

The study found evidence that food processing is a likely source of microplastic contamination, as highly processed protein products (e.g. fish sticks, chicken nuggets, tofu, and plant-based burgers, among others) contained significantly more microplastics per gram than minimally processed products (e.g. packaged wild Alaska pollock, raw chicken breast, and others). However, no statistical difference was found between high-processed products and fresh-caught products, suggesting food processing is not the only source of microplastic contamination and opening avenues for further research.

“It’s tempting to want to draw conclusions like ‘eat less of this and more of that’ to avoid microplastics in your diet; but right now we still know very little about the microplastic burdens in commonly consumed foods. Our study adds to this knowledge but also demonstrates the need for further research to better understand the bigger picture, including where these microplastics are coming from and the potential human health risks,” said primary co-author Madeleine Milne, who conducted the research while at the Rochman Lab at the University of Toronto in 2022.

Notably, across all samples, nearly half (44 per cent) of the identified microplastics were fibres, which is consistent with other studies suggesting that fibres are the most prevalent form of microplastic in the environment. About a third of the microplastics (30 per cent) were plastic fragments.

Using survey data from a separate study by Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto (to be published in Frontiers in Marine Science), the authors estimate an American adult will consume, on average, 11,500 microplastics per year. Annual exposure could be as high as 3.8 million microplastics per year if calculated using the highest levels of microplastics found in each individual protein type and the average reported protein consumption rates.

“As ocean scientists, my co-authors and I are deeply concerned about the growing plastics crisis in the world’s ocean,” said Dr. George Leonard, Ocean Conservancy’s chief scientist and a co-author of the study. “But our study shows that plastics in our food goes well beyond fish and shellfish to a wide variety of other protein sources, as well. Our work is a call to action to reduce plastic pollution in its many forms to ensure a safe and healthy food supply for all consumers.”

Innovation Insights: Technology is transforming traceability and transparency in the seafood sector

ncaleb — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 15:59:24 +0000

Concerns over counterfeiting and labelling claims have led Canada’s seafood and fisheries sector to provide greater transparency and traceability into their supply chains. New technology has emerged to help those efforts, while preventing fraud and providing more efficient inventory management and quality control.

Having traceability at all stages of seafood processing means being able to document a product’s path from catch through to final customer. In other words, a seafood company can prove a product’s provenance, sustainability, and safety at each step in the process. Traceability also enables businesses to demonstrate responsible sourcing practices and compliance with government regulations, which gives consumers more confidence in the business.

Unfortunately, mislabelling and fraud have become common in the seafood sector in practices such as species substitution, incorrect weights for products, and misrepresentation of a product’s origin. Without some form of transparent traceability system, companies may face health and contamination concerns, as well as legal measures such as fines or other penalties.

Governments and organizations are working to improve label accuracy through certifications and standardization. There are technologies for tracking products, such as barcodes, QR codes, and other digital markers, but because of their format, they have traditionally had limited use in the seafood sector. New technology coming onto the market hopes to address those barriers, and boost their use, while adding greater automation to the seafood processing sector.

ThisFish

Vancouver, B.C.-based ThisFish, which now operates globally, provides TallyVision, an artificial intelligence solution for seafood traceability and production workflows designed to boost business efficiency, transparency, and compliance in seafood supply chains. The company’s software, combined with sensors and industrial hardware, such as scanners, digital scales, and computer vision technology, help seafood processing plants automate data collection and digitize information systems to produce real-time insights that can be used to improve traceability and quality control, while reducing waste. The software also provides for the use of QR code labels, allowing customers to track seafood through retailing and processing back to the farm or fishing vessel that harvested it.

Index Biosystems

Toronto’s Index Biosystems offers a different route toward traceability. The company uses biotechnology to turn baker’s yeast into microscopic biotags to trace products through the supply chain. In August 2022, Index Biosystems received funding through the Canadian Food Innovation Network’s (CFIN’s) Innovation Booster program to pilot a project with its automated biotag application system to tag and trace grain.

Mabel Systems

Another company offering fisheries and seafood processors help to both manage inventory and trace the movement of products through the supply chain is Sydney, N.S.-based Mabel Systems. Mabel provides a data capture platform that allows seafood companies to digitize receiving and production, giving them more control over inventory, food safety, and demand forecasting, while allowing for accurate, real-time tracking of products. When combined with hardware such as advanced computer vision technology, the software allows processors to easily share information with retail customers, consumers, and regulators.

As more fish and seafood companies turn to innovative technology for improving efficiencies and compliance while alleviating concerns about fraud and mislabelling, consumers will continue to benefit with fully traceable products and more information about the sector.

Nestor Gomez is chief technology officer for the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN), a national, member-based organization stimulating transformative and transferrable innovation across the Canadian food sector. Visit CFIN at www.cfin-rcia.ca.

This column was originally published in the November/December 2023 issue of Food in Canada.

New study reveals alarming link between ultra-processed foods and chronic diseases

ncaleb — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 16:11:02 +0000

A groundbreaking study has found that the higher the consumption of ultra-processed foods, the higher the risk of suffering from a combination of chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes and heart disease, known as multimorbidity.

The multinational study involved 266,666 men and women from seven European countries, and the University of Vienna, in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC-WHO). Led by Reynalda Córdova, who received a DOC scholarship from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), and co-funded by World Cancer Research Fund International, the new research is based on data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

The researchers discovered that the more ultra-processed foods consumed, the greater the risk of suffering from two or more long-term health conditions, such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Specifically, associations were noted with animal-based products and artificially sweetened beverages (e.g. soft drinks).

Ultra-processed foods are convenient (long-shelf life, ready-to-eat), industrially manufactured foods with added ingredients or additives (eg modified starch, hydrogenated oils). Examples are soft drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, processed meat, and pre-prepared frozen or shelf-stable dishes.

Reynalda Córdova said, “Our study highlights the importance of ensuring universal access to fresh and less processed foods. In addition, our findings emphasize the importance of a differentiated analysis of ultra-processed food subgroups. While certain groups, such as animal products and artificially and sugar-sweetened beverages, were associated with increased risk, other groups, such as ultra-processed breads and cereals or alternative plant-based products, showed no association with risk.”

Heinz Freisling, co-author and study lead at IARC, added, “These findings are of concern because ultra-processed foods comprise nowadays more than half of our daily food intake. Critics of the classification of certain foods as ultra-processed argue that the definition is impractical and that some foods classified as ultra-processed make important contributions to the nutrient intake of specific population groups (e.g. older adults).

“Such criticism should certainly be considered. However, our study emphasizes that it’s not necessary to completely avoid ultra-processed foods; rather, their consumption should be limited, and preference be given to fresh or minimally processed foods.”

Karl-Heinz Wagner, co-author and professor at the University of Vienna, said, “The results indicate that the existing dietary recommendations, focusing on the consumption of plant-based foods, are consistent with current findings on ultra-processed foods. This is another reason to reduce the high consumption of animal-based foods.”

Dr Helen Croker, assistant director of research and policy at World Cancer Research Fund, said, “What’s particularly significant in this large study is that eating more ultra-processed foods, in particular animal products and sweetened beverages, was linked to an increased risk of developing cancer along with another disease such as a stroke or diabetes. Our Cancer Prevention Recommendations include limiting processed foods high in fat, starches or sugars, avoiding processed meat and eating plenty of whole grains, vegetables, pulses and fruit.”

The study was co-funded by the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Cancer Research UK, the French National Cancer Institute and World Cancer Research Fund International.

Enzyme solutions = better shelf life, texture

ncaleb — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 20:03:12 +0000

Enzyme technology is a must-have solution in baking today. It provides a consumer-friendly label solution while increasing shelf life, reducing waste, and decreasing costs. Enzymes work on a molecular level providing chemical reactions to improve shelf life and provide freshness. Bakeries need to have a comprehensive interpretation of their formulations, the processing environment and desired outcome to implement the best enzyme solutions. Working with ingredient suppliers, bakeries have access to enzyme solutions to create longer-lasting products that are less likely to be discarded due to staling and spoilage.

Jonathan Aleong, research & development manager, Puratos Canada, explains, “Enzymes are used to extend the shelf life of breads and baked goods primarily through texture modification. The main cause for loss of freshness is staling, which is a process that involves the recrystallization of starch, otherwise known as retrogradation. Previously, emulsifiers were the main tool used to combat the staling process. However, enzymes are now the solution of choice. They are clean(er) label and highly effective at maintaining the texture of baked goods. At Puratos, we have observed an increased demand for clean(er) label solutions for shelf-life extension to reduce food waste, as it also helps to mitigate cost increases and improve efficiencies at all levels of the food supply.”

Yanling Yin, director research development & applications for Bakery, Corbion (Lenexa, Kan.), adds, “Enzyme technologies are commonly used in the baking industry to extend the shelf life of breads and baked goods. Enzymes are natural catalysts that can break down and modify various components in dough, leading to improved dough handling, better texture, and increased volume. Certain enzymes can also break down starch to slow down its retrogradation to maintain product softness during shelf life. The modification of starch or protein can lead to the production of various flavour compounds that enhance the taste of baked goods.”

Troy Boutte, PhD, vice president – innovation, AB Mauri North America describes, “Shelf life extension started many years ago with emulsifiers to boost typical freshness to about five days. However, starting in the mid-1990s with the advent of modern enzyme technology, shelf life has steadily increased to the point where now we are more limited by mold growth than staling. Some baked goods currently have a shelf life of more than two months. While anti-staling enzyme technology was used mostly in yeast-raised goods initially, it is commonly utilized in chemically leavened products with good effect.”

Enzymes allow hamburger buns to stay fresh longer while maintaining their texture and flavour.

Shelf life extension examples

Aleong says, “Our Intens Freshness 2-30 and Acti-Fresh, are examples of enzyme-based solutions that have been specially designed to extend the freshness of breads and cakes from days to weeks, helping to reduce waste and providing a superior eating experience. A little bit of enzymes can go a long way, with even a modest improvement in shelf life yielding a tremendous impact on food waste. For example, we have helped a customer extend the shelf life of a high-volume bakery item for just one additional day that resulted in the prevention of more than half-a-million kilograms going to landfill and equated to annual cost savings of over $1 million.”

Yin offers sandwich bread and food service hamburger buns examples. “A sandwich bread made without enzymes typically has a shelf life of three to five days. By using an enzyme blend, the shelf life of sandwich bread can be extended to seven-10 days. In some instances, up to 21-28 days while maintaining the texture and flavour of freshly baked bread. Most quick service restaurants use frozen hamburger buns after thawing for use in each location. Without extended shelf life (ESL), the buns become crumbly and dry after thawing for a day. With ESL enzyme solution, the buns can stay moist and soft for more than five days,” she says.

Boutte identifies, “The initial implementation of anti-staling enzymes was in the 1990s. Before anti-staling enzymes, somewhere around 15 per cent of yeast-raised baked products were returned as stale. After anti-staling enzymes were introduced, the return rate dropped rapidly to only four or five per cent and is even lower now. Ultimately, more of the bread was being eaten and not going to waste. The effect was so significant that flour millers saw flour production decrease. This, of course, meant fewer wheat fields had to be fertilized and planted for wheat production, resulting in less packaging waste and fuel used for shipping.”

Enzymes solutions reducing food waste

Aleong explains, “Waste can occur at all stages of the bread or baked good life cycle, whether it’s during manufacturing, distribution or at home. Enzymes have a proven track record to be able to extend the shelf life and improve processing, helping to minimize waste at all stages. They are a necessary tool for combating food waste, improving sustainability, and meeting the needs of the increasingly health-conscious consumer.”

Abby Ceule, senior director of ingredient solutions, Corbion, describes, “Enzyme technologies have significant potential to reduce food waste, ensuring that food is consumed before it spoils. It’s worth noting that enzyme technologies are not a silver bullet. They should be used as part of a larger approach to reducing food waste. By working closely with ingredient suppliers, bakeries can access expertise, quality assurance, innovation, and supply chain efficiency, verifying the right ingredients and achieving the desired functional and sensory properties in their baked goods.”

Boutte concludes, “In the past 20 years, enzymes have gone from nice-to-have to must-have. This is due to their functionality and favourable consumer perception. Enzyme use is a prime example of sustainability. We can treat 1 million lb of flour with 1 or 2 lb of pure enzymes despite enzymes being diluted for ease of use. A typical emulsifier system would require 5,000-15,000 lb to treat the same amount of flour. While enzymes and other ingredients require the use of agricultural material and energy for production, enzymes require far less and do not put pressure on the food supply. Overall, enzyme use greatly reduces carbon footprint including energy used for manufacturing and shipping.”

This article was originally published in the April/May 2023 issue of Food in Canada.

Registrations open for Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition

ncaleb — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 14:11:45 +0000

Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition is celebrating its 10^th anniversary. This milestone event by Meat & Poultry Ontario honours craftsmanship, innovation, and local food culture.

Franco Naccarato, executive director for Meat & Poultry Ontario, expressed his excitement and gratitude for this significant achievement, saying, “Over the past decade, Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition has become a symbol of excellence in the industry. It has been a privilege to witness the dedication and talent of our local butchers, and we are thrilled to celebrate this milestone with them.”

A vital element in the success of the competition has been the unwavering support of Halenda’s Meats, Mississauga, Ont., as the host of the elimination round. Their commitment has made the competition an unforgettable experience for competitors and spectators alike.

In 2023, Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition is set to embark on a new chapter. The elimination round has found a new home at Handtmann Canada in Waterloo, Ont. There are new competition rules such as competitors will now be tested on their core competencies. Veal has been added as a protein option in the elimination round, and the finale has been extended to 45 minutes, allowing butchers more time to showcase their creativity and expertise.

Registration for Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition is now open. The elimination round will take place on Monday, September 11, at Handtmann Canada, where competitors will showcase their technical knowledge and knife skills. The top three contenders will advance to the finals, which will be held on October 21 at the Meating Place Conference in Muskoka, Ont., in front of a live audience. The winner will be announced on October 21 at Meat & Poultry Ontario’s red carpet gala.

Burcon launches ingredient processing and scale up services

ncaleb — Fri, 26 May 2023 12:26:31 +0000

Burcon NutraScience is offering pilot plant processing and scale-up validation services.

“After a successful round of financing, we are thrilled to move forward on our Burcon 2.0 strategy. In order to engage the market and improve our customer intimacy, we are excited to offer Burcon’s world-class expertise and pilot-scale processing as a service,” said Kip Underwood, Burcon’s chief executive officer. “Our Winnipeg technical centre offers a comprehensive range of plant protein processing capabilities. We look forward to supporting our fellow industry peers to develop the next generation of best-in-class ingredients and products.”

Burcon’s Winnipeg technical centre comprises 10,000-sf of lab and pilot-scale production area with commercial processing equipment for start-to-finish product development. Manufacturers looking to upcycle by-products, develop end-to-end processes or to validate and scale-up a process can leverage the company’s infrastructure and food processing consultancy services.

MPO launches Ontario’s Ultimate Burger Competition

ncaleb — Thu, 11 May 2023 16:08:55 +0000

Meat & Poultry Ontario (MPO) launches Ontario’s Ultimate Burger Competition, an opportunity for burger processors to showcase their expertise and craftsmanship in creating the perfect patty. MPO is on a mission to find the best burgers in six categories: beef, veal, poultry, lamb, pork, and other.

If you are a processor who is passionate about selecting the finest cuts of meat, grinding and blending flavors to perfection, and mastering the art of patty making, this is your chance to shine. MPO’s panel of judges, including industry experts and connoisseurs, will evaluate each patty based on taste, texture, and quality.

“We are thrilled to launch Ontario’s Ultimate Burger Competition and shine a spotlight on the remarkable talent and skills of our province’s burger processors,” said Franco Naccarato, executive director at Meat & Poultry Ontario. “This competition not only celebrates their craft, but also highlights the incredible flavours and quality of Ontario’s burgers. We encourage all processors to seize this opportunity and join us in this exciting journey to find Ontario’s Ultimate Burger.”

The judging will take place on July 19 at Fanshawe College in London, Ont. The winners will be announced at MPO’s gala on October 21 in Muskoka, Ont.

The deadline to enter is June 30. To participate, visit www.meatpoultryon.ca/finestmeat.

Crush Dynamics secures U.S. patent for fermented ingredient

ncaleb — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 14:34:57 +0000

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a patent for Crush Dynamics’ U.S. Patent Application No.: 16/882,317, System, Method, Process and Nutrient-rich Product Derived from Wine Derivatives.

“Building strong intellectual property here in Canada is key to the future of both agri-food tech and our country’s plant-based food, feed and ingredient sector,” said CEO of Protein Industries Canada Bill Greuel. “We are pleased to see Crush Dynamics achieving another critical milestone with respect to developing unique ingredients. With this newest development, they’re helping enable the future of food through innovative, sustainable food and ingredient options.”

Crush Dynamics’ approach enables bio-transformation of wine-making derivatives into food ingredients.

“Grape production is one of the world’s largest fruit crops.” said co-inventor Gray Strachan, head scientist, Crush Dynamics. “This new process is a significant advance for the wine industry. Utilization of our intellectual property can enable the wine industry to approach ‘zero waste’ operation. In addition, the resulting polyphenol rich ingredients have tremendous potential in a wide variety of food formulations.”

“There are over 15 million metric tonnes of crushed grapes created annually around the world,” added Kirk Moir, CEO, Crush Dynamics. “Our now patented bio-mechanical approach transforms this material into high performance food ingredients, enabling our food producer customers to address some of the most critical challenges facing the global food chain. The flavour and health benefits are truly game-changing.”

World’s first autonomous micro-factory from Relocalize gets funding boost from CFIN

Food in Canada — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 14:08:22 +0000

Earlier this year, the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) invested $1.1 million into five projects, through the organization’s FoodTech Next Program to help early stage companies pilot their innovation in operational food sector environments.

Decarbonization company Relocalize received $246,618 in funding. With the motto of “thinking big by being small,” Relocalize’s autonomous micro-factories make the food supply chain more sustainable.

The company will be using the funding to pilot the world’s first autonomous micro-factory for food and beverage at their partner’s facility in Florida, in partnership with Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Fresco y Mas stores.

Relocalize will produce packaged ice hyper-locally on-demand at their distribution centre. As part of the pilot phase, the system will produce ice that will be initially available at two stores in Jacksonville. Since the micro-factory is located at the distribution centre, the product only has a one-step journey from point of distribution to the customer or store.

“We have developed autonomous micro-factories that do everything a large factory can, but they are miniature so they can be placed hyper locally,” said Wayne McIntyre, CEO, Relocalize. “Since these products are made hyper locally, there is no longer a need for trucks to travel long distances.”

One of the biggest challenges in food sustainability is long supply chains that include many trucks and long-distance travel.

McIntyre explained his micro-factories can make and process the product, create the required packaging as well package the product, then palletize and store it in a food safe environment, all without the need for people.

Ultimately, these micro-factories, McIntryre said, can reduce product costs by up to 30 per cent, while eliminating up to 90 per cent of transportation CO₂.

“We started with packaged ice because ice can be quite hard to manufacture. It is a heavy and logistics intense product. Only one ice factory serves the entire province of Quebec. Ice is travelling long distances on trucks, and putting water on trucks in my mind is a really bad idea when it is available in every tap in every building in North America,” said McIntyre.

Fun fact, Relocalize’s filtered Better Ice comes in cubed form and is sealed in airtight packaging, which improves the taste of the product. The company has started with micro-producing ice, with plans to enter the beverage sector next.

Handtmann breaks ground to expand manufacturing capacity

Food in Canada — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 15:53:29 +0000

The Filling and Portioning Systems division (F&P) of Handtmann is expanding with the investment of around 14 million euros in the construction of an assembly hall that will increase capacity for food processing technologies. The ground-breaking ceremony on the Handtmann campus in Biberach, Germany, was on February 16 with completion scheduled for the end of 2023.

“We expect continued growth in demand for our sustainable solutions in the coming years. Strong growth driver proves to be the consistent expansion of our portfolio to include new business areas such as customised solutions or the provision of line solutions for comprehensive production processes,” said Harald Suchanka, CEO, F&P. “The high level of investment in our own subsidiaries and sales companies in the key markets also helps to generate new market share and dynamic sales growth.”

The assembly hall will add 7,280 m² of floor space which will be used to realign production and making assembly scalable.

“Expansions and optimisations in the production plants are sensible in order to secure the growth course we have chosen, to be able to meet the increasing demand in the future and not to make compromises in terms of quality and technology,” said Dr. Mark Betzold, CTO, F&P.

In addition to the installation of a photovoltaic system and green roofs, investments will be made in the expansion of the utility infrastructure. In-house use of the solar power generated will be boosted by an integrated medium voltage network within the group of companies. Waste heat from the production process will be used to heat all of the Handtmann Group campus via an integrated heat network, reducing the use of fossil energy and the company’s carbon footprint.

Efficiency key as juice producers squeezed

ncaleb — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 17:46:48 +0000

Orange juice remains one of the most popular soft drinks around the world, but challenging weather conditions in 2021 and 2022 in the world’s major production regions of Brazil and Florida respectively mean that the supply chain faces record raw material costs. As a result, producers will need to focus more than ever on production efficiencies to maximize margins.

The good news is that the demand for orange juice remains high, despite consumers in some markets, such as Europe, moving away from fruit juices and related products as they are perceived to be relatively high in sugar and calories. This fall in demand has been compensated for by increasing demand from food processors for the production of smoothies and flavoured water, which are generally perceived as healthier choices. Demand for straight orange juice also received a significant boost from the COVID pandemic around the world. Overall, most analysts predict level, or slightly increased worldwide demand for the next few years.

Production challenges
The trouble for the industry is that despite this buoyant demand, the last couple of years have seen reduced fruit output from the major production areas of Brazil and Florida. Other less important producers are also struggling, with European production also down this year, in line with a longer-term trend.

Brazil, the world’s largest grower of citrus fruit, suffered significant frosts and droughts during the 2021 growing season, but production is projected to bounce back by 20.5 per cent to 317 million boxes for the 2022/23 season. However, the final effects of a warmer winter season, which saw higher than normal levels of fruit drop, still have to be assessed. At the same time, lower-than-normal stocks from 2021/22 have kept local prices high (up to 50 per cent higher in July 2022 compared with the previous year).

In contrast, production from Florida (the second largest producer of citrus in the world) is estimated to fall 51 per cent for the 2022/23 season to just 20 million boxes. This represents the largest fall in production in 110 years. The reasons for Florida’s reduced production are related not just to weather (orange groves have suffered damage from hurricanes, frosts and insect damage), but also to citrus greening disease, a bacterium which causes fruit to shrivel and fall from the tree before it is ripe. The number of Valencia orange trees in Florida has also fallen from 36 million in 2006 to just 30 million today as real estate and land prices in the state persuade many growers to cash in the value of their land.

Difficult markets
It’s no wonder markets are nervous, with orange juice futures matching historical highs in New York at the end of 2022 with increases of 50 per cent or more compared to the previous year. According to some estimates, U.S. orange juice production alone will fall 6.5 per cent to 215,000 tonnes for the current year, although stocks of juice are expected to remain stable.

All of these factors mean orange juice producers, whether using concentrate or frozen not-from-concentrate (NFC) juice, face an increase in raw material costs of around 50 per cent. Add this to the global energy crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which saw energy prices rise as much as 60 per cent for oil and 400 per cent for natural gas in Europe (although prices at the start of 2023 were much closer to pre-invasion levels), and producers are in the front line of food inflation.

Faced with unavoidable rises in input costs, not all of which can be passed on to customers or consumers, manufacturers must make every effort to maximize the efficiency of processes such as remelting and pasteurization. At the same time, they need to maintain the key quality characteristics of the juice, even though chemical changes begin as soon as the juice is squeezed.

Pasteurization options
Thermal treatment, sometimes known as ‘flash pasteurization,’ is the preferred technique for making premium juice. However, flash pasteurization takes time to evenly heat the product, adding to the total processing time and increasing the risk of altering the product’s organoleptic properties. In contrast, ohmic heating, which uses electricity to heat the product rapidly and uniformly, has been scientifically shown to be highly effective while maintaining flavours and quality.

Matt Hale is the international sales and marketing director at HRS Heat Exchangers.

Team Canada competes at their first World Butchers’ Challenge

ncaleb — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 18:23:55 +0000

The World Butchers’ Challenge, known as the ‘Olympics of Meat’, took place in Sacramento September 2-3, where newcomers Team Canada competed for the first time. Thirteen countries battled for the coveted Friedr. Dick Golden Knife Trophy, and The Butcher Wolfpack of Germany came out on top as the best butchers in the world. While Team Canada did not win, they showed great pride and promise in their debut at the event.

Competing for Team Canada came with some challenges. Team members took time off, leaving their shops closed to meet and train for two-three days at a time. Team Captain Peter Baarda dealt with personal challenges leading up to the competition. Baarda used his challenges as fuel in his drive to succeed.

“I set out on a mission, and I wouldn’t let anything slow down our progress as a team,” said Baarda. “The team supported me wholeheartedly, which made us all closer and stronger.”

The competition celebrates the best of the best from across the globe. Heavyweights such as Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain, Australia, and teams from other countries battled it out over two days for more than 16 awards in a variety of categories. Each team showcased their carving, boning, and finishing skills while turning a side of beef, pork, a whole lamb and five chickens in just over three hours. The World Champion Butcher Apprentice and Young Butcher was won by Australia and France, respectively.

Team Canada was grateful for the support of Carmelo Vadacchino of Friedr Dick Knives, coach/advisor to WBC Team Canada. Vadacchino helped the team prepare for competition at the world level for the first time, and his extensive experience in competing and supporting Culinary Team Canada was a huge asset.

“I did what I always do, help individuals and teams excel at what they do best,” said Vadacchino. “From the beginning, the team clicked and worked well together. It made my job easy because there were no egos in the room. All I did was to help them understand what to expect when competing at the world stage.”

Team Canada also had tremendous support from organizations, sponsors, and fans across the country.

“When Peter Baarda asked MPO [Meat & Poultry Ontario] to be the supporting organization, we accepted because we knew the importance of highlighting the skills of our Canadian butchers and competing at a world level would show others how good we were,” said Franco Naccarato, executive director of Meat & Poultry Ontario. “It was amazing to see the support the team had from sponsors, family, and friends. On the day of the competition, Canadians came out to support the team in Sacramento, while many others watched the livestream on YouTube.”

What’s really behind higher milk prices

ncaleb — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 13:50:18 +0000

Every year, the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC), a branch of the Federal government, hires external consultants to assess the cost of producing milk on the farm. The CDC has never released any data about costing and has recommended farm milk price increases most years, eventually impacting retail prices and Canadian families. Since February, on average, dairy product prices have gone up by anywhere from 10 to 15 per cent. However, some CDC data was recently leaked, which gives us a better picture of how the cost of milk production is determined. The CDC has announced not one but two hikes this year: the first was a record-breaking 8.4 per cent in February, and the second, 2.5 per cent, will come into effect September 1. Based on the CDC’s leaked data, it appears that these increases are simply unfounded.

The CDC will normally base its recommendations on an annual survey conducted by hired consultants. They survey over 200 dairy farms all over the country to measure the cost of producing milk. Recently, the results from the 2021 survey were presented in a confidential meeting. The standardized cost of production went from $85.42 per hectolitre to $84.57 per hectolitre, a one per cent drop. Notwithstanding this year’s record increase announced in October 2021, the CDC increased milk prices by two per cent in 2020. All that was going on while the cost to produce a hectolitre was either slightly increasing or dropping in Canada.

According to the report, some costs did go up, like feed at $0.76 per hectolitre, and fuel at $0.28 per hectolitre. But other costs per unit went down, outweighing items that cost more. For example, standardized fixed-rate labour and labour in general dropped -$0.91 per hectolitre, and standardized capital costs dropped -$0.54 per hectolitre. The CDC’s pricing formula includes all aspects of dairy farming, from infrastructure to veterinary medicine, promotion, everything, with the exception of subsidies given to dairy farmers for hypothetical losses incurred from trade deals. The margin of error for this year’s survey was 2.06 per cent, lower than in 2020 (2.35 per cent).

That said, early results of the 2022 survey suggest that costs are going up, but that should impact prices in 2023, not this year. Most disappointing is the fact that the Canadian Dairy Commission, the government, likely succumbed to pressures coming from the dairy industry by increasing farmgate prices without any sound empirical data to justify increases. It’s all anecdotal. This points to how the CDC’s governance has become a reputational liability for the dairy industry and for Canadian consumers.

The idea that dairy production per unit can be less costly may sound counter intuitive. After all, inflation is affecting all aspects of our lives. Farmers, industry experts, and even the Canadian public bought in to the argument that everything is more expensive, even for dairy farmers. The reality though, is that many dairy farms are now operating with hardly any human beings around. Technology is taking care of the most intensive aspects of dairy farming. Dairy genetics have also come a long way. Some U.S. estimates suggest that the dairy industry is producing 60 per cent more milk with 30 per cent fewer cows compared to 50 years ago. According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada was home to 977,000 dairy cows in 2021 while producing 95 million hectolitres of milk. In 1990, Canada had almost 1.4 million dairy cows and produced 73 million hectolitres of milk. That’s 43 per cent fewer cows, with an 31 per cent increase in production. That will bring costs down.

Last year’s “Buttergate” episode, when Canadians learned that dairy farmers were using imported palm oil derivatives from Indonesia or Malaysia to produce more butterfat, adheres to the same modus operandi. It not only made butter harder but using palmite is another method to decrease costs while generating more revenue. The practice was banned for a while, but dairy farmers are back at it again. The Dairy Farmers of Canada are only discouraging – not banning – the practice, as dairy farming is self-regulated with little governmental oversight on quality assurance.

Dairy farming is simply getting more efficient, generally, although two versions of farming are colliding in Canada’s dairy industry. On the one hand, many dairy farmers are investing in technology, making farms more efficient, bringing down the cost per unit produced. Most of these farms are west of Toronto, right through to British Columbia.

The farms east of Toronto will offer a very different scenario. These farms are much less efficient, smaller on average, and are just looking for “fair pricing” supported by the CDC’s focus on increasing prices, no matter what. Over the years, that “fair pricing” mentality has pushed farmgate milk prices higher. Most of these farms are in Eastern Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic. Quebec has half of all dairy farms in Canada. It’s no coincidence that most of the loudest voices defending supply management and our quota system come from that part of the country. As a result, milk prices in Canada are about 30 per cent higher that the world average.

This points to how the CDC is morally and ethically compromised. It needs to distance itself from the dairy sector immediately. More transparency and honesty and better communications would also improve the crown corporation’s public image. Most federal crown corporations have always been forthcoming with data to allow the Canadian public to understand and appreciate their work, but not the CDC.

To be clear here though, dairy farmers are victims as much as the Canadian public. Dairy farmers themselves, politicians, even the Minister of Agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau have always been hypnotized by the CDC’s gibberish and numbers, and don’t fully understand the system, relying on Dairy Farmers of Canada’s loud and influential voice. It’s disappointing that we needed a leaked document to realize that recommendations given by the CDC are based on weak evidence and hearsay.

For years, many speculated that the CDC was misleading the public. Now we know that the Canadian dairy industry’s “smoking gun” was indeed real.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is professor and senior director, Agri-food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University.

EnWave earns SQF Certification for vacuum-microwave toll manufacturing facility

ncaleb — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 15:08:09 +0000

EnWave Corporation’s vacuum-microwave toll drying facility, Revworx, has successfully completed the Safe Quality Food (SQF) certification process.

The SQF program is a rigorous and credible food safety and quality program that is recognized by retailers, brand owners, and food service providers world-wide. Recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative, the SQF family of food safety and quality codes are designed to meet industry, customer, and regulatory requirements for all sectors of the food supply chain, from the farm all the way to retail stores.

Following the SQF certification process, Revworx is now officially open for business, offering on-demand contract manufacturing services for the production of vacuum-microwave dried snack and ingredient applications for food companies.

Located at EnWave’s head office in Vancouver, the Revworx facility incorporates complimentary upstream and downstream equipment required to process food applications at scale. Revworx is equipped with a 60kW tray-based REV machine, a 10kW REV unit for smaller batch production, a commercial scale air dryer for pre-processing, preparation equipment such as cutters, corers, and slicers for fruits and vegetables, a batch mixer, a fryer and seasoning station, and a bulk packaging area for shipment preparation.

Smoke Show spices up the Canadian food scene with artisanal sauces

ncaleb — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 14:03:24 +0000

Smoke Show was born in a moment of fraternal telepathy when owner & founder Dave Rose’s brother Nick put hot peppers in the smoker before blending them into sauce. During this moment of spontaneity, the duo began brainstorming their first product: the classic Smoke Show Jalapeño Hot Sauce. Fast forward to 2022, and with over 10 products, the hot sauce brand is currently sold in more than 500 retailers across Canada.

Recently, the food company launched an artisanal line of limited-edition sauces. The full line from this collection will include four sauces. In May, they released the first drop, Habanero Lime Hot Sauce. Smoke Show is also working on entering the U.S. market.

“With more and more Americans contacting us about our product, and with our products currently sold in every Canadian province, we feel it’s the right time to make the leap. With 10 times the population, the American market is daunting and very much unknown to us, but we’re just going to go for it,” said Rose during an e-interview.

Products

Smoke Show offers six sauces: Jalapeño Hot Sauce, Habanero Lime Hot Sauce, the Jalapeño Aioli, the Jalapeño Ranch, the Jalapeño Dijonnaise, and the Jalapeño BBQ Sauce. The food brand also has a line of spices and dry rubs: Jalapeño Spice Blend, a Montreal steak spice, a zatar, a chipotle, a jerk spice and an herbes de provence.

All the products are manufactured in Quebec. They’re packaged in bottles that are easy to reuse and repurpose.

“We work with local manufacturers to ensure that we are supporting our community and only produce in small batches to obtain maximum freshness,” added Rose.

Photo courtesy Smoke Show

Journey so far

The journey has been completely crazy for Rose. Initially, the biggest issue for the company was fermentation.

“I received a voicemail from a customer saying she opened a bottle of sauce in her kitchen and it blew up all over her face and went in her eyes. Obviously, I was in shock and had no idea what she was talking about, and to be honest I thought it may have been a friend messing around with me. That’s when the wheels really started to fall off. I got a video from the head-chef of Joe Beef (a popular Montreal restaurant), and in the video was a bottle of Smoke Show oozing like a volcano all over the place. I had never seen anything like it. I thought I was in a nightmare. We immediately pulled sauce from shelves all over the city. Luckily, we were small enough at the time to contain the disaster, but big enough for me to have some sleepless nights,” recalled Ross.

Clearly, Smoke Show has been able to overcome the initial manufacturing issues. As Rose explained, “To be an entrepreneur, you need to be a good problem solver and I believe this is a skill I’ve been able to master over the years. I’ve really come to depend on this skill throughout my journey with Smoke Show,” explained Ross.

Supply chain issues

Lately, most of the problems are related to inventory. “My manufacturers are all backed up and unfortunately can’t keep up with the demand. Not only that, but some crucial ingredients used in a few of my sauces are very hard to source these days, so we can sometimes go a few weeks without certain sauces. It drives me crazy,” said Rose.

Even as Smoke Show prepares to enter the U.S. market, Rose is keen to highlight the company’s humble beginnings in his parents’ backyard.

“There is a photo in my office of my mom and sister pouring a bucket of hot sauce into a funnel in our family kitchen. Sauce was leaking everywhere. They were helping me fill bottles back in 2015 before anyone knew about Smoke Show. I love that about this business. I’ve been watching it grow over the years but I still believe it is in its infancy. Like anything in life, it comes with a lot of challenges, but I know at the end of the day the juice will be worth the squeeze,” said Rose.

The world is running out of vegetable oil

ncaleb — Thu, 05 May 2022 14:47:50 +0000

Funny how sometimes we take the simple things in life for granted. Cooking oil, or vegetable oil is certainly one of them, and our appreciation for vegetable oil will likely reach new levels in months to come. That’s right. Prices have increased by 25 per cent just in the last six months. While palm oil went up 50 per cent, canola oil is up 55 per cent on average. The world is slowly running out of vegetable oil.

Vegetable oils are not just about frying things. The ingredient is in many things we eat. All household kitchens and restaurants use vegetable oils. Major companies will buy vegetable oils to manufacture the food we buy daily. Pasta, cookies, chocolate, cookies, mayonnaise, many dry and baked goods contain vegetable oil. It is one of the most universal and versatile ingredients we have at our disposal.

Palm oil is the big one, given how affordable it is. Recently, Indonesia, the largest producer of palm oil in the world announced that the country would no longer export palm oil. The embargo started last week on April 28. Indonesia accounts for 55 per cent of palm oil exports. It’s huge. Since the price of palm oil had increased by 40 per cent in the country, the government believed it had no other choice. Malaysia, the second largest exporter, is experiencing unprecedented labour shortages affecting palm oil production. The country accounts for 31.2 per cent of palm oil exports, according to the Observatory of Economic Complicity.

Although many condemn the use of this oil for environmental reasons, the fact remains that several companies in the field buy this product. Nestlé, Mondelez, Ferrero Rocher, most of the big food companies need it and we eat it every day.

For sunflower oil, the situation is even worse. Ukraine is the largest exporter of sunflower oil in the world. The country exports around 5.4 million tonnes of sunflower oil, half of the quantities found across the globe. Russia, responsible for 25 per cent of sunflower oil exports, will have difficulty finding customers due to sanctions imposed against it.

For canola oil, Canada, the largest exporter, must contend with last year’s abysmal season. The drought was so severe that we had to import Canola to meet our demand for vegetable oil. So, there are hardly any reserves to start 2022.

Finally, there is soybean oil. Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil are among the largest exporters of soybean oil. The three countries are also hit by major droughts, and anemic production in recent years has created supply problems everywhere.

Even if major exporting countries like Holland and Germany have good harvests this year, it will not be enough to cover the anticipated deficit this year, and possibly next year. Yes, vegetable oil, the importance of an ingredient that we have all taken for granted in our kitchens, will be much more evident.

What could help though is to lessen the amount of vegetable oil used for energy. About 15 per cent of all vegetable oils are used to support the production of biofuels. We could perhaps see some countries divert some of that production for more vegetable oil, but that’s not a given. Far from it.

As we navigate through this global food crisis, we are expecting more countries to instinctively ban exports and even hoard commodities to secure food supplies. Each decision will add more pressure to the market, raising prices across the board. Over the next several months, things will most certainly get ugly to a point where many will experience famine or acute hunger.

Despite all of this, as Canadians, we’re the lucky ones. If your grocer is rationing vegetable oil, don’t be surprised. As consumers, we should feel lucky just to have access to some vegetable oils.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is professor and senior director, Agri-food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University.

Conagen produces two thaumatin protein natural sweeteners at scale

ncaleb — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 18:17:48 +0000

Conagen scales up production of two new high-intensity sweeteners, thaumatin I and thaumatin II. The development will expand commercial partner Sweegen’s sugar reduction solutions of zero-sugar natural sweeteners.

Thaumatin is a group of proteins found in the fruits of the tropical plant Thaumatococcus danielli. Each protein, thaumatin I and thaumatin II, varies slightly in sweetness profiles. Both proteins have been evaluated as 100,000 times sweeter than sugar on a molar basis and 3,000 times sweeter on a weight basis. The high sweetness factor can translate into a strategic cost-effective sugar reduction solution for brands seeking to get the most out of a natural sweetener.

The thaumatin proteins were developed from Conagen’s peptide production platform, which had previously been used for the scaled production of another peptide sweetener, brazzein.

“Conagen constantly improves its protein and peptide production platforms to generate more exciting new products,” said Casey Lippmeier, vice-president of innovation at Conagen. “In this case, the platform has been leveraged to make thaumatin by several innovative approaches, but under a significantly shorter R&D timeline.”

These two new, high-purity thaumatin proteins add to Sweegen’s portfolio of sugar reduction solutions to help brands make low-calorie products.

Viveau reimagines sparkling beverages with a healthy twist

ncaleb — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 16:09:37 +0000

Based out of Nova Scotia, Viveau has created a sparkling fruit beverage with a 50/50 blend of fresh-pressed fruit and lightly sparkling water.

Available in four flavours, Viveau is non-GMO and contains no added sugars, dyes, and synthetic flavour additives. The fruits are sourced from farmers in Annapolis, N.S. The lightly carbonated sparkling water is sourced from Spa Spring Mineral Water. Viveau is also the first beverage in North America to be Clean Label Project Certified.

I caught up with Viveau’s president and co-founder Ted Grant to discuss the company’s journey so far and future plans.

What inspired you to start Viveau and when did you start it?

TG: The concept for Viveau was conceived in the summer of 2018. We were motivated by what wasn’t on the shelf. The sparkling water category was uninspired — essentially all brands had the same offering of tap water and fake flavouring. It was evidently clear after trying many of the brands that represent the competitive set, that taste and real ingredients were not a focus. This is where we really honed in, knowing there was an entire population out there who cared about these very same things we do, and this would ultimately become our wedge.

What types of products/flavours do you sell?

TG: Viveau currently offers four different flavours: tart cherry, wild blueberry, crisp apple, and ripe strawberry. All our products are considered healthy hydration and can be found in the sparkling water aisle in most major grocers across the country.

Where are these products manufactured?

TG: We manufacture all our products in rural Nova Scotia. A significant contributor to our value proposition is the incredible mineral water that we use. Sourcing this quality of water is not easy, as it must adhere to our strict guidelines around quality. We found the perfect source in Spa Springs, N.S. We also source all of our fruit from Canadian farmers. Showcasing the amazing resources we have in our own backyard is incredibly rewarding and we hope to see more brands join us in doing so!

Ted Grant

What challenges did you encounter on your food entrepreneurial journey?

TG: Where does one begin! A phrase that is consistently repeated is, “If it were easy, everyone would do it.” Building a consumer packaged goods brand in a saturated space is very challenging. It is even more challenging when you are trying to disrupt the status quo by producing a premium product in a category that is filled with cheaper offerings. One thing you realize is that every challenge has a solution. As long as you are solutions driven, it will all work out. While we were most definitely not alone in this particular challenge, launching a beverage brand just before a global pandemic hit was also quite a hurdle. Sampling and trial is a big part of launching a new food or beverage product, so we had to get very creative in terms of how we got Viveau into the hands of consumers to try us out!

What’s unique about the company and the product?

TG: We are the only lightly sparkling water on the market using real fruit (never from concentrate) and a mineral rich water source. We pride ourselves on real ingredients with an unparalleled taste. Our sourcing story is localized, supporting communities of farmers across this country.

Where are your products sold?

TG: All major retailers across the country including Loblaws, Costco, Sobeys, Safeway, Save On Foods, Quality Foods, Metro, Farm Boy, Longos along with scores of independent grocers and food service accounts.

Why did you get Clean Label Certified?

TG: We wanted to make a statement — one that reflected our commitment to transparency, trust, and the truth. The industry has a lot of misinformation, and we want people to know exactly where this drink comes from, what’s inside, and the many reasons to believe!

How are you managing supply chain issues?

TG: We are laser focused on finding solutions to the various challenges related to the supply chain. We have a team of people that work every day to support our procurement needs. We hope with the end of the pandemic in sight, the supply chain will somewhat normalize.

What are your future plans?

TG: We want to raise awareness around the importance of choosing real ingredients. We want to provide people more choices to find real ingredients while providing healthy products that consumers can feel great about consuming. Our goal is to be an industry leader in the real food movement.

$29M project seeks to create a better plant-protein ingredient

ncaleb — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 15:14:07 +0000

Protein Industries Canada and a consortium of partners, including More Than Protein Ingredients, Quantum Mechanical Technology, and Hamman Ag Research are announcing a project to create one of the most functional plant protein ingredients available on the market.

“With the growing demand for high-quality plant-based protein ingredients, the government is proud to support the work of the Protein Industries Supercluster and its partners on this project. This project will build on innovation throughout the supply chain, from seed genetics to ingredient processing. This will benefit not only farmers and food manufacturers, but also Canadian consumers, who will have more options when it comes to products made with top-quality plant-based ingredients,” said François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry.

Working with pea and lupin, the project partners will first focus on the breeding and agronomic level to improve the protein quantity and quality of yellow peas, which will bring value to crop input companies and farmers. The next step is pre-treatment to help prepare the crops for ingredient processing. Quantum Technologies will apply gentle Modified Wave Technology to improve hull removal and optimize the flavour and nutrient profile in both peas and lupins. The final step is scaling up innovative processing technologies to produce functional protein ingredients for plant-based consumer food manufacturers. More Than Protein Ingredients will be building a dedicated commercial-scale innovation line that will take plant-based protein extraction to the next level producing the next generation of food protein ingredients. In addition to the innovation line, More Than Protein Ingredients is constructing a new processing facility near Bowden, Alta.

“This project will develop out a complete supply chain solution for the plant-based protein industry that will provide Plant-Based Canadian Food Manufacturers with leading-edge ingredients to develop the foods of the future,” said Kevin McGeough, CEO of More Than Protein Ingredients. “We look forward to working with our consortium partners to build this next-generation agriculture and food supply chain in North America.”

The $29 million project will see Protein Industries Canada invest $5.7 million, with the remaining invested by the consortium partners. The More Than Protein facility is scheduled to be operational by spring 2023.

Sugar reduction in beverages: A fluid approach

ncaleb — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 19:40:34 +0000

A glance at the global beverage market shows that, even with the ongoing pandemic still causing some degree of uncertainty, the functional beverage market is projected to register a CAGR of an impressive 6.96 per cent now through 2026, according to the Mordor Intelligence Functional Beverage Market Industry Report. Increasing demand for innovative products, such as plant-based and lactose-free beverages, as well as a surge in CBD-infused functional beverages, are expected to be among the opportunities fuelling this uptick.

Consumer health needs also will play a role. Per the report: “Furthermore, due to increasing global prevalence of diabetes consumers are becoming more aware of the importance of a healthy diet and active lifestyle, promoting the preferences for natural sweeteners, such as stevia-based beverages. According to the International Diabetes Federation, India was home to 77 million diabetes patients in 2019, the second largest in the world. By 2030, the number is predicted to reach 101 million. Thus, companies like PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola are committed to remove artificial ingredients and reduce the sugar content in their products.”

Diabetes-related or otherwise, the natural sweeteners market is primarily driven by an increase in consumer demand for healthier food and beverage choices. Here, the sugar substitutes market is dominated by the beverage segment. Beverages are not only the most commonly consumed products worldwide, but also the most likely to be formulated with added sugars to improve flavour, provide mouthfeel and support shelf life.

For beverage manufacturers especially, then, the gauntlet has been laid down to reduce sugar without reducing customer satisfaction. This can be a daunting prospect.

*Adapted from Birch (1996); Tate & Lyle (2010)

More than just sweetness

In beverage, sweeteners contribute far more than mere… well, sweetness. When we start reducing sugars in formulations, then, there are both primary and secondary issues to consider, including the relative sweetness of each ingredient, sweetness intensity and perception, possible synergies (or lack thereof), finished product flavour, total solids content, particle size, and shelf life. With the beverage category encompassing everything from alcoholic beverages to still waters to ready-to-drink concoctions, each of the functional properties listed is essential to identifying the ideal solution for meeting sugar reduction targets and desired label claims.

Using a sweetness perception curve, the temporal profile of a sweetener shows the onset and linger potential of that sweetener. Based on this data, combining multiple sweeteners allows a formulator to control negative attributes by balancing onset with linger. This is demonstrated, for example, in the common use of erythritol combined with stevia extract. Since erythritol has a rapid onset of sweetness, it counterbalances the long linger associated with stevia extracts while still maintaining a clean label. In beverage applications, erythritol is not only providing sweetness, but also contributing to positive mouthfeel typically sacrificed as sugar is removed.

Taking advantage of sweetener synergies is another way to reduce total sugars in beverages. Some sweeteners, when combined, exhibit greater than expected sweetness – a situation where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In fact, this effect is exponential: the sweetness synergy becomes more pronounced as the level of sweeteners increases. These synergies cannot be predicted from the properties of the two sweeteners alone, so it must be determined experimentally – a factor that provides advantages to those companies willing to significantly invest in R&D.

However, sometimes the use of single, standalone high-intensity ingredients, such as steviol glycosides, in beverages can be advantageous toward improving overall flavour quality. These glycosylated stevia extracts are generally utilized at low levels to reduce bitterness while enhancing sweetness.

Soluble fibers, soluble dextrins and sugar alcohols are also versatile ingredients in a formulator’s toolbox for reducing sugars in beverage applications. These ingredients impact mouthfeel by imparting body and, in some cases, minor viscosity for a pleasant mouthcoating effect. Sugar alcohols will add sweetness at differing intensities, a variance that reinforces the importance of understanding the relative sweetness of each ingredient. A high-intensity sweetener may also need to be included if trying to achieve a higher sweetness equivalent value.

Mixing it up

If looking for ease of formulation, a blended solution is another appealing option in beverage formulation development. Some sweetener replacement blends contain exacting combinations of erythritol, allulose, (soluble fibre), steviol glycosides and stevia leaf extract. The blends are designed to mimic the functional properties of sucrose with simple one-to-one (by weight) sweetener replacement options across an array of application platforms.

Such a blended approach can be valuable when dealing with products with relatively high amounts of dissolved solids – so-called higher brix beverages like energy drinks and kombuchas. This is because they tend to have a sugar equivalent value (SEV) of 10 or higher, making it difficult to achieve higher SEV with most high-intensity sweeteners alone. Here, blends can deliver a sweet, clean, reduced-sugar beverage for SEVs as high as 20, and without the need for additional bulking agents typically added for mouthfeel.

Lower brix beverages like hard seltzers and sparkling waters, which tend to have sugar equivalent values of seven or lower, are somewhat easier to formulate with single high-intensity sweeteners. However, certain blends can help achieve not only the desired sweetness, but also secondary concerns such as mouthfeel.

Reducing sugar content as well as a product’s calories can be a tricky path to a clearly consumer-preferred destination: improved overall health and slimmer waistlines. Only by understanding the real-world effects of lab-concocted sweetener substitutes can beverage manufacturers reduce sugar without reducing overall consumer satisfaction.

By customizing sugar reduction solutions to the particular product formulation – a process that often takes some degree of trial and error – beverage producers can meet and exceed the demands of increasingly health-conscious consumers. The winners will be those beverages that most convincingly reduce sugars while providing a low-calorie, clean label product experience.

Melissa Riddell is head of innovation & technical services at Batory Foods, a sales and supply chain management solutions provider of commodity and specialty food ingredients. Batory Foods offers a full portfolio of high-quality food ingredients to food, beverage and nutraceutical manufacturers throughout North America.

BAC and ABA partner on education, training

ncaleb — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 18:01:15 +0000

The Baking Association of Canada (BAC) and the American Bakers Association (ABA) announce a partnership focused on developing the technical baking skills of their members’ workforces. The partnership will open up ABA’s Bakers Manufacturing Academy training programs to BAC members.

“Both ABA and BAC are focused on addressing the skills gap in their respective workforces. This partnership will allow BAC members access to the Bakers Manufacturing Academy multi-dimensional training course offerings,” said ABA president and CEO Robb MacKie. “We are very excited to work closely with BAC on this vital issue that transcends our border.”

“Expanding educational and professional upgrading opportunities for our members is one of the association’s strategic mandates” explained Martin Barnett, executive director of BAC. “We look forward to this opportunity to work closely with the ABA on this initiative”.

The Bakers Manufacturing Academy’s online training offers a variety of courses for all knowledge and experience levels. Through the Academy, companies have an effective, convenient, and affordable way to enhance workforce training and development. Written and developed by baking industry experts, the online learning portal offers students dynamic, interactive instruction, and offers training managers simple student registration, documentation, and progress.

Ontario offering free training for food and beverage careers

ncaleb — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 17:15:28 +0000

The Ontario government is investing almost $1 million to prepare over 600 people across the province for rewarding careers in food and beverage processing. This funding to Food and Beverage Ontario provides jobseekers with training, mentorship, and job placements with local employers in baking, food science, and food production and processing.

“Ontario’s food and beverage workers have kept shelves stocked and our province running throughout the pandemic,” said Monte McNaughton, minister of labour, training and skills development. “I’m proud to support this exciting project, which is giving people a head start in pursuing rewarding careers while ensuring employers have access to the trained, highly-skilled workers they need to grow our economy and strengthen communities across the province.”

Workers in food processing, transportation and warehousing, where job postings have nearly doubled over the past year and a fifth of the workforce is preparing to retire, can earn upwards of $25 an hour. Food and Beverage Ontario’s (FBO) CareersNOW! program will help address this labour shortage by delivering:

free online training and coaching on topics such as workplace safety, employee-employer relations, and safe food handling, to prepare people for jobs in food and beverage manufacturing;
a regional pilot program with the City of Brampton to assess challenges and opportunities in connecting local jobseekers with employers, focusing on underrepresented groups in the industry, including women and people of colour;
a virtual career mentorship series delivered in partnership with Ontario colleges and universities that provides students with opportunities to connect with professionals in the industry and explore education and career pathways; and
online job fairs to connect jobseekers with open positions.

“With this important investment, Food and Beverage Ontario has kickstarted a critical workforce development program for Ontario’s food and beverage processors, and the participation by employers and jobseekers has been extraordinary,” said Chris Conway, CEO of the Food and Beverage Ontario. “Our thanks to the minister of labour, training and skills development for supporting the launch of CareersNOW! so that we have the systems in place to engage jobseekers and students, and facilitate connections with employers offering great jobs. This program is our top priority.”

“We know that Ontario’s food and beverage processors have great jobs to offer and we appreciate the role these processors play, every day, as an important link in Ontario’s food supply chain,” said Lisa Thompson, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs. “Training our future workforce with the much-needed skills required and matching them with employers in need, will support the growth of our province’s agri-food sector and maintain our confidence in our local food supply which all-told, strengthens our province’s economy as well.”

This initiative is part of Ontario’s over $200-million Skills Development Fund investment, designed to support fresh ideas for training and skills development that will help the economy recover and prosper.

Bakery Showcase offers exciting speakers, demonstrations and panels to help your business thrive

ncaleb — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 18:06:45 +0000

The Baking Association of Canada (BAC) is pleased to announce the next Bakery Showcase will take place April 10-11, 2022, in Toronto. The BAC looks forward once again to welcoming the industry at that time to Canada’s premier baking industry event – the largest and only baking industry business-to-business trade show and conference produced in Canada.

Join thousands of industry professionals from bakeries (retail, wholesale, commercial, in store), grocery and food-service outlets.

Scout out products and tools for your trade: 100,000 square feet – hundreds of booths – showcasing baked goods (fresh, proof & bake, par-baked, freezer-to-oven, thaw & serve) baking ingredients, equipment, packaging services and technology and experts to help you make smart decisions for your bakery business.

Pick up fresh ideas for your baking business! We have an exciting lineup of inspirational speakers, education sessions, competitions and demonstrations.

Day 1 highlights

Communicate Your Passion: Justine Martin will share the inspiring story of how she used her creativity, flexibility and communication skills to build a thriving business, Guilty Pleasures Bakery + Catering. Learn how acting on the right opportunity at the right time can mean successfully scaling up.

Inspirational Bakery of the Year: Bakers Journal and founding sponsor Ardent Mills will reveal the Jake the Baker Inspirational Bakery of the Year and present the award in person! Enter by March 1 and it could be you winning a trip from anywhere in Canada to accept the award!

Mahathi Mundluru, a contestant on the Great Canadian Baking Show will share why she entered the competition, what it’s like to bake under pressure under the tent and details of her specialties.

Thriving in a Labour Shortage: A panel of experts tackle challenges for Canadian bakeries. This informative session will show you how to get grants and other recuperating funds for your bakery, how to find and keep skilled employees, how automation can help your bakery efficient and less dependent on skilled labour, and more!

Watch the exciting Jake the Baker Student Cake Decorating Contest! Culinary school students will compete for a cash prize and exposure in Bakers Journal! On Sunday, April 10, award-winning cake artist Justine Martin will emcee and attendees are invited to watch the next generation of bakers craft and sculpt their cakes throughout the day and be at the Main Stage at 3 p.m. to watch them present their creations to the judges!

“Unexpected Ways to Use Raisin Paste, Raisin Juice, Peanuts and Peanut Butter in Your Baking.” In this demonstration, California Raisins and the Peanut Bureau of Canada will guide you through four unexpected ways to use raisin paste, raisin juice, peanuts and peanut butter in your baking. Learn four new recipes – and four exciting ways – to incorporate these ingredients in your baking!

Sponsored by California Raisins and the Peanut Bureau of Canada

Day 2 highlights

Learn Your ABCs: The Art and Business of Baking with Cannabis: Experts in baking with cannabis, cannabis licensing and other related topics will share the latest information about this growing trend. Join what promises to be a popular session to find out what’s involved and decide if it’s right for your bakery business!

Top 5 Trends and Opportunities for Your Bakery: Jane Dummer, Registered Dietitian, and columnist in Bakers Journal, will present a look ahead at trends baking and suggest ways you can act on these shift in the market to ensure your bakery or bakery café thrives into the future. Known as the Pod to Plate Food Consultant, Jane collaborates and partners with the food and nutrition industry across North America.

Educating the Next Generation: A competitive labour market is putting concerns about the next generation front and centre. Join leaders in bakery education as we tackle key questions: How is the baking industry educating the next generation of bakers? What can be done to standardize certification across Canada to make it portable for the bakers of tomorrow?

Demonstration: Artisanal Bread Baking Shaping and Scoring Techniques

Award-winning, world-travelling Master Baker Marcus Mariathas. vice-president of product development at Weston Foods (FGF Brands), will demonstrate shaping and scoring techniques. In 2015, he competed as part of Team Canada to win the Coupe Louis Lesaffre Americas in the Baguettes and Breads of the World category. The team qualified for the Coupe de la Boulangerie, a first for Canada! He has connected with baking experts worldwide, and now is excited to teach others the tips and tricks that he’s learned. A can’t-miss session featuring tasty samples!

And much more . . . watch baking.ca for program updates!

Barentz to distribute ACT Polyols’ glucose sweeteners and plant proteins in North America

ncaleb — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 15:55:01 +0000

Barentz has been appointed as the exclusive North American distributor for ACT Polyols (ACT), a Pakistan-based manufacturer of Non-GMO Project Verified and Certified Organic rice-derived sweeteners and proteins.

Available in both organic and conventional grades, ACT’s natural sweeteners and protein isolates can be found in a variety of food products including beverages, desserts, confectionery, energy bars, baked goods and dietary supplements.

“We’re excited to welcome ACT into the Barentz family,” says Mike Emrich, president, Human Nutrition, North America. “ACT’s line of clean label sweeteners and proteins fills the growing demand of North American consumers to bring organic, natural and sustainable foods into their homes. Food manufacturers can expect to benefit from a dynamic, professional team who are eager to work with them and offer customizable solutions. Additionally, we’re proud that ACT’s vision to be the benchmark in quality, innovation, safety, and customer satisfaction supports our key initiatives.”

Asad Iqbal, CEO, ACT Polyols, feels that “the confluence of values of ACT and Barentz makes for a strong relationship between us. Barentz’s global reach, especially their extensive network in the North American market enables us to obtain customer insights that form the cornerstone of our mission to be the most innovative and quality conscious supplier of sweeteners and proteins. We are thrilled to be part of Barentz global network.”

The Rowe deal

ncaleb — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 15:51:31 +0000

Life in the meat business is never a walk in the park at best of times, and it’s been downright rotten for countless processors and suppliers of premium meat products to fine restaurants, hotels, golf clubs, banquet halls and other ‘white table’ dining establishments struggling to outlast the nasty COVID-19 pandemic that has shuttered their businesses with strict widespread bans on indoor dining.

For Rod Rowe, co-founder and owner of L Rowe Beef Co. Ltd. in Mississauga, Ont., the curve ball thrown his way by the coronavirus outbreak in March of 2019 was fundamentally more devastating than anything he had faced in his baseball-playing days with the New York Mets organization back in the 1980s, with potentially far graver consequences.

“I suddenly had $4 million worth of meat inventory on my hands for which I had no customers,” says Rowe, a 48-year-old native of Toronto who played college ball on a scholarship at the Texas A&M University Texarkana prior to being drafted by the Mets and assigned to the team’s minor league affiliate in Rochester, N.Y.

As fate would have it, an unfortunate injury ultimately put an end to Rowe’s dream of making it to the major leagues, but that setback only strengthened his resolve to succeed in his next career phase as one of the top-performing salespeople for a leading Toronto-area meat distributor Derma Meat Co.

After Derma was eventually acquired by global food distribution giant Sysco Corporation, Rowe and a like-minded industry acquaintance William Leavoy teamed up to launch their own fine meats distribution business under the Leavoy Rowe Beef Co. Ltd. banner in 2006, with Rowe eventually buying out his partner about two years ago to become the sole owner.

Quickly building up a loyal client base in the food-service industry by leveraging superior product quality, outstanding customer service and a diverse product portfolio comprising high-quality fresh beef, veal, lamb, poultry and various game meats, the new business venture enjoyed brisk growth over the years—moving from its original 5,000-square-foot meat shop five years ago to a bigger, 21,000-square-foot meat processing and packing facility boasting all the relevant Health Canada and CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) accreditations required for a federally-approved meat processing operation.

Painstakingly refurbished and rebuilt on the inside virtually from scratch over 16 weeks, the HACCP-certified, temperature-controlled facility currently processes and ships about 10,000 kilograms of premium-quality fresh meat products per week, sourcing its meat from the most reputable and prestigious farm operators located in Ontario and a select few cattle ranches in the U.S.

According to Rowe, beef products account for about 60 per cent of the Halal-certified plant’s output—with products ranging from mouth-watering T-bone steaks and prime rib to hamburger patties and deli sausage meats—with poultry accounting for about 30 per cent and the remainder split among lamb, veal and game meat specialties like venison, wild boar and bison.

Operating its own multi-vehicle fleet of refrigerated trucks to ensure flawless customer service and on-time delivery, the thriving meat shop employs 65 full-time staff over a two -shift, five-day-week schedule to serve a sizeable geographic region stretching from Sarnia, Ont., in the southwest of the province to Ottawa in the eastern part.

For all that growth and success, however, the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 two years ago and the ensuing restrictions on indoor dining, particularly at fine dining establishments, threatened to undo all the hard work and heavy lifting Rowe did over the years to make the company succeed in a highly competitive segment of the Canadian meat industry.

But rather than pack it in, Rowe proceeded to turn a looming crisis into an unprecedented opportunity by successfully pivoting the operation to tailor to the unique new requirements of the burgeoning e-commerce grocery marketplace spearhead by a new breed of grocery e-tailers like Butcher Box, truLOCAL and Goodfood, among others.

While this sudden turnaround in corporate strategy was driven largely by necessity and desperation, Rowe says that in retrospect he is glad to have discovered a lucrative new business segment with outstanding opportunities for future growth that he may have had overlooked or underestimated otherwise.

“Our business is up by 50 per cent since two years ago,” Rowe told the author during a recent visit to the busy and lively Mississauga plant typically operating at about 2 C throughout the year.

“We never did anything with the home delivery business prior to that,” Rowe relates, “and obviously we had to make some changes to our operation, especially on the packaging side of things.

“The packaging requirements for e-commerce are very different from shipping to restaurants,” Rowe explains.

“When a restaurant gets our order, they open the box right away.

“When a consumer gets theirs at home, they will often take a package out of the delivery box and put it in the fridge, so there is no room for defects like a leaky package, or any signs of animal blood on the packaging … you can’t afford to have any issues with packaging in this business segment.”

To get the packaging right for all of the company’s diverse product lines and SKU (stock-keeping units) selection, Rowe turned to a long-time business acquaintance Terry Rees, regional sales manager for south-central Ontario at Reiser (Canada) Co.

Based in Burlington, Ont., the company is a Canadian subsidiary of the renowned food processing and packaging systems group Robert Reiser Inc., Canton, Mass.-headquartered supplier of automatic food processing and packaging machinery for the sausage, meat, poultry, seafood, prepared food, bakery, cheese and pet food industries.

Established in 1959, Reiser had risen to keen industry prominence over the years by supplying the global markets with renowned machinery brands such as Ross tray-sealers for case-ready and MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) applications; Repak and Variovac brands of HFFS (horizontal form/fill/seal) packaging machinery; Supervac automatic vacuum chamber packaging machines; and Vemag meat processing systems, among others.

Having already benefitted from Reiser’s equipment expertise during his company’s formative years, Rowe was confident that Rees and his Reiser colleagues would provide the right solutions for his new product packaging needs and heightened customer expectations.

“It just made total sense to deal with one company that has both the processing and the packaging equipment we would use to pivot into the new markets,” Rowe states.

“I’ve been buying from Reiser through Terry for nearly 14 years, and they have always been very good to me.

“Not only do they have the best machines out there,” Rowe states, “but they also keep me on top of all the important changes in the industry I should know about.

“We are a Reiser facility from stem to stern,” says Rowe, who purchased his first machine from Reiser—a Reman Dixie DP 100 skin-packaging machine—back in 2008.

After the business expanded and moved to newer premises, Rowe turned to Reiser to purchase a Repak RE20/4 horizontal FFS machine in 2015 to speed up its vacuum-packing and skin-packaging operations, which worked out so well that Rowe placed an order for yet another Repak RE20/4 machine two years later.

While these machines have remained at the core of Rowe’s Beef’s packaging capabilities to this day, they were not enough on their own to help Rowe make a smooth and swift transition to fulfilling the challenging e-commerce packaging standards and requirements dictated by his new client base in the home delivery business, as well as the important new retail customers such as Costco, Longo’s and Farm Boy.

“We had to diversify and change things around in a major way to be able to execute all this different packaging for all these different customers,” Rowe explains.

“What I had in place was already a pretty significant investment for a company our size,” he remarks, “but it was not adequate for the kind of a major pivot that we needed to implement.

“So I called Reiser again to help us bring all the equipment we needed under our roof,” says Rowe, who invested $1.7 million in the last year to purchase and install 13 different Reiser-supplied packaging and processing machines to raise the plant’s production and packaging capabilities to a whole new level of excellence.

Between April of 2020 and October 2021, the Mississauga facility had evolved into a living showcase of the latest food processing and packaging technologies offered by Reiser, which supplied Rowe Beef with a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art equipment comprising:

Vemag HP- 20E stuffer, an FM-250 former and a PPI stacker/interleaver;
SuperVac GK-501B vacuum-packing machine with a SuperVac AT-8E hot-water shrink tank;
Variovac Optimus 55 Easy Skin thermoformer and skin-packaging machine;
Vemag Lucky Linker sausage meat stuffer;
Seydelmann AE-130/3 automatic meat grinder;
Holac Sectomat 230 TC portion cutting machine;
AMFEC model 510 meat mixer/blender with a model 2-3K2 column loader;
RotoClaw II frozen meat breaker.

As a supplier of premium-quality meats aged to tender perfection and meticulously portioned and prepared to customers’ specifications, Rowe Beef simply can’t afford the risk of letting poor packaging execution to mar the company’s hard-earned reputation for quality, Rowe points out.

“Our products are all high-value products,” says Rowe, citing the company’s own Wellington County brand of Canada AAA and Canada Prime grades of beef; the Est.8Angus brand of black angus beef striploin harvested from a select breed of Iowa-raised cattle; and the Snake River Farms brand of American Kobe (Wagu) Angus beef, sourced from a proprietary herd in eastern Idaho.

“It goes without saying that I need to have the best quality equipment to take proper care of this kind of quality product,” says Rowe, “and Reiser equipment is absolutely top-notch.

“I would recommend them to anyone in the meat industry because they have the best equipment,” Rowe reiterates.

“That’s why I never left them,” says Rowe, indicating there is probably more Reiser equipment to install down the line after Rowe Beef completes its pending move to a new 50,000-square-foot meat processing facility in Mississauga later this year, which will offer a lot more elbow room for both the machinery and the plant’s highly loyal and dedicated production staff.

“At the end of the day it is the people who ultimately make the difference,” Rowe acknowledges, “and having good people working on best available equipment is a strong core competency for us.”

As Rowe relates, the company’s uncompromising approach to product quality and customer service excellence have also greatly contributed to its outstanding industry reputation—backed up by the vast insider knowledge base about the meat business he started to acquire early in life from his father, who was a professional butcher operating his own meat company decades ago.

“I believe what sets us apart is the consistency of our product, which is aged far longer than the minimum retail requirements, and that the meat is cut and portioned to perfect specs as required by our customers.

“Our customers always come back because they know they will be getting consistently high-quality product, backed up by service that I believe is second to none in our industry,” Rowe asserts.

“If some customer is in a pinch for a box of bacon that they need right always, I will drive that box over myself if none of our trucks are available at the moment,” he states.

Not surprisingly, Rowe is quick to cite superior customer service as one of Reiser Canada’s value-add attributes that he appreciates as much as the leading-edge machinery that the company distributes.

“I have an amazing relationship with Terry and the whole Reiser crew,” Rowe states.

“Whenever I need something, or if a machine breaks down and I need a special part in a hurry, somebody from their crew will be here in the afternoon or the first thing next morning.

“For me, service is everything,” Rowe asserts, adding that he’s eagerly anticipating the easing of current restrictions on indoor dining to herald the return of his former restaurant and foodservice industry clients.

“We managed to get through the whole COVID crisis without shutting down production or laying anyone one off,” Rowe reflects, “thanks to our ability to pivot quickly when many of our key customers had to shut down.

“Now that the golf courses have reopened and the restaurants are getting closer to allowing more customers to dine indoors,” he concludes, “I have good reasons to feel good about the future—serving our growing customer base from a brand new facility equipped with the best processing and packaging systems you will find anywhere.”

This article was originally published in our sister magazine, Canadian Packaging.

New partnership to develop farm-to-fork ecosystem for lupin in Canada

ncaleb — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 17:18:23 +0000

Today, Protein Industries Canada (PIC) announced a project to establish lupin as a staple crop in the Canadian agrifood sector.

Lupin Platform, Inc., Hensall Co-op, Lumi Foods and Puris have come together to establish an integrated ecosystem to increase the production of, and processing of lupin in Canada. The $7.3-million project will develop a lupin supply and value chain, from crop production through to the development and manufacturing of functional ingredients and products.

“The farm-to-fork ecosystem we’re announcing today for lupin – a unique pulse, new to Canada and with highly valued protein properties – will establish a foothold for this crop, and give our agriculture and agri-food sector a competitive advantage both domestically and internationally,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, agriculture and agri-food minister. “Canadian consumers will benefit in having new food products to choose from on grocery store shelves, while the Canadian agriculture sector will see increased diversity and market opportunity.”

The consortium, with each member representing a link in the value chain, will focus on identifying the lupin varieties that are best suited for Canadian growing conditions, developing and improving seed cleaning and processing technologies, determining the value of lupin’s co-products, and creating new food formulations and products.

“Lupin is an exciting new crop for Canada that will bring new value to Canada’s plant-based food and ingredient ecosystem, benefiting the entire value chain, from farmers to end consumers,” said Bill Greuel, CEO of PIC.

The project will be led by Lupin Platform, a new company that will oversee the development of the ecosystem and contribute inputs and expertise to activities related to agronomic research, commercial-scale lupin production, protein extraction and functional characterization, and ingredient and value-added product development such as lupin beverages and a baking mix.

Hensall Co-op, one of Canada’s largest farmer co-operatives, will take on agronomic research and testing for the novel crop, as well as utilize in-house equipment and know-how to develop effective and scalable cleaning, dehulling and milling technologies that are suitable for commercialization at the processing level. Additionally, Hensall hopes to develop data related to the feed value of lupin in monogastric and ruminant nutrition.

The novel lupin ingredients will then be used by Lumi Foods and Puris to develop new plant-based products for consumers across North America.

Lumi Foods (formerly Blue Heron Creamery), a high-end plant-based cheese and products manufacturer, will utilize lupin ingredients in their proprietary cheesemaking process. Over the past three years, the company has been exploring different ingredients to develop a nut-free line of dairy alternative products, and lupin’s high protein content makes it an attractive ingredient in formulation.

Puris, a company that works at the intersection of growers, makers and eaters to deliver sustainable nutrition from plants, will support the effort through innovation and product development to deliver planet-friendly foods, great taste and accessibility.

Food Law: When ‘negligible’ means ‘zero’

ncaleb — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 21:03:54 +0000

Processing aids are used to fulfil certain technical purposes during the treatment or processing of food products. These include antimicrobial substances used on meat products or enzymes utilized to extract juice from fruit. In Canada, processing aids are not an express concept defined in legislation, but are defined in policy.

Health Canada’s written policies distinguish processing aids from food additives by relying on the definition of a food additive set out in the federal Food and Drug Regulations. In brief, processing aids are substances that are used for a technical effect in foods and do not fall within the definition of a food additive. In order to remain outside of this definition, Health Canada takes the position that a processing aid is a substance whose use does not affect the intrinsic characteristics of the food and results in no or negligible residues of the substance or its byproducts in or on the finished food.

Health Canada’s own policies recognize that the need to distinguish processing aids from food additives has resulted in its definition differing from the one used by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which has been adopted by several of Canada’s trading partners, such as the United States and the European Union. In particular, the ‘no or negligible’ threshold on residue levels and references to the substance’s impact on a food’s characteristics are absent from the CAC definition.

Problematic approach

Based on recent experience, it appears as though Health Canada’s interpretation of ‘negligible’ residues is more restricted than their written policy would suggest. While Health Canada’s policy suggests processing efficacy data may be relevant when concluding that a substance is a processing aid, their recent position appears to be that the presence of a specific removal step is a critical indicator, if not singularly determinative, of the substance’s role, regardless of whether the substance remains present in any meaningful active amount. In short, regardless of residue levels remaining in a finished food, the processing aid is considered a food additive due to the absence of a removal step.

This overall approach is problematic for a number of reasons. For one, its departure from the CAC definition leads to differences in ingredient declaration requirements that may discourage companies from entering the Canadian market. Processing aids with residual levels remaining in finished foods are not required to be declared as ingredients in many jurisdictions, including the United States, but due to Health Canada’s interpretation as food additives, would require declaration. While there is no requirement that Canada regulates all substances in the same manner as its trading partners, this variation in ingredient lists is confusing to consumers and businesses alike.

Inconsistent application

The impact of this difference in approach is further complicated by Health Canada’s inconsistent application of the policy. Several common food ingredients are produced using processing aids that are not normally declared as components in Canadian and American ingredient lists. For example, ingredients such as maltodextrin, corn syrup and various plant-based proteins (e.g. rice protein) are manufactured using enzymes that, while irreversibly denatured during processing, are not specifically removed from the finished product. While these processing aids are used in low quantities, and their enzymatic activity may be completely inactivated in the finished food, Health Canada has taken the position that these ingredients are food additives, requiring declaration in the list of ingredients.

While Health Canada’s policy contemplates that the use of an enzyme in the production of a food ingredient derived from starch (such as maltodextrin) may be consistent with the definition of a processing aid, this may not be reflected in practice.

While it is normal for regulations to differ across countries, Health Canada’s own policies lead to inconsistent applications of the law in a manner that raises uncertainties and practical challenges for industry. The current interpretation also differs from their own published guidance in which ‘negligible’ is now regarded as zero. Due to these inconsistencies, it may be time for Health Canada to re-evaluate its published guidance. Without formal clarification, Canadian businesses are left guessing Health Canada’s interpretation and are uncertain about labelling requirements. Ultimately, this will lead to increased confusion among consumers due to discrepancies across product labels.

Dr. Jon-Paul Powers is a partner and scientific advisor with Gowling WLG. Victor Zhao is a student-at-law with Gowling WLG.

This article was originally published in the October 2021 issue of Food in Canada.

Meat and Poultry Ontario celebrates 40th anniversary

ncaleb — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 14:47:57 +0000

Meat & Poultry Ontario (MPO) celebrated its 40^th year at the 2021 Red Carpet Gala, held in Waterloo, Ont., on November 19. The gala brought together MPO’s members to honour the family of people that make up the association and celebrated their commitment to both the organization and Ontario’s meat sector.

The evening kicked-off with a special 40^th Anniversary presentation by Franco Naccarato, MPO’s executive director and Laurie Nicol, former executive director.

“Tonight, we celebrate the champions of Ontario’s meat sector, who have supported our organization for over 40 years. These members are dedicated to building their businesses and contributing to the industry and their communities,” said Franco Naccarato. “Tonight is a time to say thank you and celebrate their innovation and accomplishments.”

MPO honoured Bramic Sales, Charlies Meat and Seafood, Hayter’s Turkey Products, and University of Guelph (Meat Science Laboratory, Department of Animals & Poultry Science) as they received their 10-year membership plaque, followed by Abate Packers, Canadian Butcher Supply, Domingos Meat Packers, Sargent Farms and Townsend Butchers, who were honoured for 25 years of loyal MPO membership. For the first time ever, a 40-year membership award was accepted by founding MPO member and commodity partner, Ontario Pork.

The Meat Industry Achievement (MIA) Award, which is given to an MPO business member company or individual that deserves recognition for their achievements in the meat and poultry industry, was presented to King Cole Duck of Stouffville, Ont.

The Associate Member Recognition Award (AMRA) is judged by the membership and given to an associate member company that is deserving of recognition for their contribution to the association and to the industry. This year Viscofan Canada, Markham, Ont., was honoured with this distinction.

Since the awards’ inception in 1995, MPO has presented only 13 prestigious Lifetime Member Awards to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to industry. This year they inducted Richard Halenda of Halenda’s Fine Foods into that club.

Crack the egg processing issue

ncaleb — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 18:11:43 +0000

Eggs are a key foodstuff and ingredient. According to industry data, Canadians eat an average of 242 eggs a year. While shell-on eggs accounted for the bulk of this consumption, processed egg products represented 30 per cent of the market in 2020. Processed egg products can take several forms, but the most common one is liquid.

Egg characteristics

Fresh eggs have a thick white and an upstanding yolk. Over time, the white thins and the yolk spreads and enlarges as water passes through the membrane from the white into the yolk, weakening it. Therefore, eggs are refrigerated and processed quickly, usually within a week.

Liquid egg is a very delicate product, as the proteins in egg are more sensitive to heat than other products, such as milk or juices. This is due to the fact that the white and yolk are distinct components with different compositions and behaviours. When mixed, they interact mutually. For example, egg white is denatured at 136 F while yolk is denatured at 149 F. These low temperatures also make it hard to aseptically process natural liquid egg products; the eggs are frequently cooked before the required time and temperature minimums are achieved.

The importance of pasteurization

There may be a number of reasons to process eggs, including convenience, to extend shelf life or as part of other food processing and manufacturing operations. The main reason to pasteurize egg products is for food safety, but ease of use, improved hygiene and product uniformity are other motivating factors. Depending on the exact combination of treatment time and temperature, it is possible to produce a shelf life of up to 16 weeks for refrigerated liquid egg products.

Irrespective of the treatment method used, it is important to use fresh, clean and sanitized eggs, and to chill and filter them immediately after breaking. The contents of an egg are essentially sterile until broken, so one of the aims of processing is to reduce or eliminate bacteria or contamination that may be introduced once the egg is cracked. Liquid whole egg and yolk should be held at or below 39 F, and egg whites below 44 F.

Yolk and whole egg products are generally pasteurized in their liquid form, while liquid egg white may be pasteurized when sold as a liquid or frozen product. In contrast, dehydrated egg yolk (with the glucose removed) is normally pasteurized by holding containers in a large chamber over several days.

There can be many reasons, such as convenience and improved shelf life, to process liquid egg. Photo courtesy HRS Heat Exchangers

Technical challenges

For most liquid egg products, pasteurization using heat exchangers remains the main form of heat treatment. Various time and temperature regimes are used to pasteurize eggs depending on the product, which could be whole egg; separated egg (whites or yolks); or a treated product, like salted yolk. Each type of product presents a different challenge in terms of viscosity, and products with added salt also introduce a higher likelihood of equipment degradation or corrosion.

Pasteurization can have a number of unwanted effects, including gel formation and softening of the yolk, or irreversible denaturation of the proteins and changes to the appearance. If not handled correctly, thermal pasteurization can decrease protein content, change physical characteristics such as texture and colour and increase product viscosity. Choosing the right pasteurization regime and equipment is therefore vital to minimize and prevent such unwanted effects.

Limitations of plate and smooth-tube heat exchangers

In the past, many processors have used plate heat exchangers to pasteurize egg products, but these allow products to coagulate on the plate surface, fouling the heat exchanger so that frequent cleaning-in-place is required to maintain operational efficiency. This adds time, energy and cost to the processing, and also reduces overall capacity.

Tubular heat exchangers overcome some of these problems (for example, the larger diameter helps the product to run through the heat exchanger more easily). However, there can be issues around heat transfer efficiency and the necessary size of the exchanger to achieve effective pasteurization.

Corrugated heat exchangers

All of these issues can be overcome with the use of corrugated tube technology, which uses turbulent flow to reduce fouling. A corrugated tube has an increased heat transfer rate compared to a smooth tube of the same length, so the heat exchanger can be made smaller.

Matt Hale is international sales and marketing director, HRS Heat Exchangers.

This article was originally published in the October 2021 issue of Food in Canada.

New partnership to advance fermentation processing in Western Canada

ncaleb — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 15:25:10 +0000

Protein Industries Canada announces a new project to strengthen the use and understanding of fermentation processing technology in ingredient and food processing.

The Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre (Food Centre), the University of Saskatchewan, the Global Agri-Food Advancement Partnership (GAAP) and Ag-West Bio are combining expertise to create a new fermentation and training program at the Food Centre. The project will build capacity in Canada’s plant-based ingredient and food ecosystem by marrying the addition of new technology with a skills development and training program.

“Protein Industries Canada continues to create new possibilities for Canadian crops,” said the François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry. “By bringing together key players, this project will help find new ways to produce premium healthy and sustainable food products and provide good jobs for people across Canada.”

“Today’s announcement will develop and leverage emerging fermentation technology to produce novel plant-based ingredients, food and feed products for Canadians and international markets. Building the fermentation ecosystem starts with attracting and training the right talent for Canada’s small- and medium-sized plant-based food and beverage sector. This project will increase capacity to utilize fermentation technology, commercialize opportunities and create higher paying jobs,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food.

The addition of fermentation technology and expertise will allow for new plant-based ingredients and food products to be created and commercialized. The expansion of fermentation processing technology is an emerging opportunity for Canada. This method of processing can help the country’s plant-based food, feed and ingredient sector increase its competitive edge in the global market and attract new talent, as it’s considered more sustainable and offers a higher profit margin than many processing methods previously used by the sector.

The program will support collaborative innovation, expertise and skill development between small- and medium-sized enterprises and the consortium, enabling the commercialization of new technology while attracting and fostering a pipeline of future talent for Canada’s plant-based ingredient and food ecosystem.

A total of $1.3 million will be invested into the project. The project partners are together investing $600,000, with Protein Industries Canada investing the remaining $700,000.

Minimizing food waste with technology

ncaleb — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 21:22:52 +0000

Food manufacturers and producers are responding to Canada’s food waste epidemic with technology. Using the latest in tech, many food producers have been able to minimize food waste.

To call it an epidemic isn’t an exaggeration. According to a report by Second Harvest, 58 per cent of all food produced in Canada is lost or wasted. Food suppliers across verticals are taking steps to save some of this wasted food.

Outcast Foods has launched five single ingredient powders that are manufactured by upcycling food leftovers. Photo © Outcast Foods

Outcast Foods

One of those companies is Nova Scotia’s Outcast Foods. They collect unwanted fruits and vegetables from farmers and distributors across Canada, and transform them into nutrient dense powders. They use technology to process their unique leftovers, so they can provide quality product to consumers with little-to-no waste.

“It’s a part of the food waste continuum. Different food is wasted throughout the process, starting with the farmers food that doesn’t get selected by the distributors simply because the harvest is the wrong colour,” said Dr. Darren Burke, CEO of Outcast Foods. “We save the fruit and vegetables, including product that has gone bad. We get rid of any bacteria through our manufacturing process, and hold on to the nutrients.”

When Outcast Foods was developing their manufacturing process they realized that it was a complex issue that needed a complex solution.

“We developed a machine learning protocol that can take all the information about the product—its size, shape, how old it is and the distance of the farm—and figure out if it makes sense to bring it to our facilities,” said Dr. Burke. “Once it’s in our facility, we developed a unique process to get it from ingredient to powder.”

Outcast Food’s manufacturing process starts with a washing phase, where a unique organic acid is sprayed on the vegetables and fruits, eliminating any bacteria. Then it moves to the size reduction phase, where it is dehydrated and mulled into a fine, free-flowing powder.

Outcast Food’s unique manufacturing process in their facilities have caught the attention of heavyweight companies like Nestle and Riverside Foods, as both companies have partnered with the East Coast company as suppliers.

Loop Mission

Another company that is using technology in their manufacturing process to help reducing food waste is Loop Mission. A juicing company based out of Montreal, Loop saves food waste at its source and aims to maintain a net positive result throughout their whole manufacturing process. They teamed up with one of Quebec’s largest fruit and vegetable distributors, Courchesne Larose, who provides them with fruits and vegetables that would have been thrown out.

“Courchesne Larose gives us their misshapen produce, and they get a percentage of our sales,” said Pascale Larouche, Loop Missions’ public relations lead. “Our co-founder David Côte saw just how much they were going to throw away and thought, ‘we need to do something will all this waste.”

Loop Mission is actually housed within the distribution facility and uses produce to create fruit and vegetable juice, smoothies, probiotic sodas and a newly added gin, thanks to Krispy Kernels chips, who donated their potato scraps. Not only do they take food waste from other companies, but also are net positive within their own company, giving any residential pulp from their produce to a local vegan dog food manufacturer.

When it comes to their own product, Loop Mission uses the latest in technology to ensure their juices are not going to waste, by extending their shelf-life. Loop Mission’s juices and smoothies are unpasteurized, which means they have a shorter shelf-life than their pasteurized counterpart. In order to ensure their juices aren’t contributing to food waste, they use high pressure processing (HPP). This processing technology helps extend their shelf life to 66 days, where unpasteurized juice has a shelf-life of only a few weeks.

HPP is a technique that takes place after the product is in its final package. The high pressure and cold temperatures help deactivate the flora or bacteria present in the food product.

“Instead of pasteurizing we use HPP,” said Larouche. “It not only extends the shelf-life but also doesn’t remove any nutrients” from the product.

While Loop Mission and Outcast Foods are combating food waste within the processing of food waste, B.C.-based NEXE are making their impact on food waste reduction through 3D printers.

NEXE Innovations

Scientific advisor Zac Hudson and NEXE Innovations developed a compostable coffee pod to target single-use packaging. A third of consumer’s plastic consumption is from single-use packaging like yogurt cups, cosmetics and coffee pods.

The biodegradable coffee pods come pre-packed with sustainable coffee, under the XOMA Superfoods brand. The pod is made from a combination of plant fibre, compostable polymers, and other compostable materials, with a bamboo casing.

“We develop compostable alternatives for traditional plastic packaging,” said Hudson. “Sixty billion pods are discarded every year. That’s 13,000 a minute. Our pod is corn based and takes about 35 days to completely break down.”

When food or coffee pods sit in a landfill, methane is released into the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Not only are they helping reduce the plastic waste and carbon footprint of coffee pods, but also take care to use sustainable methods when making prototypes through the 3D printer.

“We use polylactic acid, which is the most common filament for a 3D printer, which has allowed us to eliminate the need for stainless steel moulds,” said Hudson. “Processing steel is expensive, time consuming and carbon-intensive.”

Good to Go

Food waste isn’t only present at the grower and distribution level in the food industry. It is prevalent in grocery stores and restaurants across Canada. In fact, 86 per cent of all food waste in Canada takes place in the food service industry. American start-up Good to Go is looking to help restaurants and grocers cut back on their food waste.

Launched in Canada in July 2021, Good to Go uses apps to connect the restaurant industry to their consumer. Restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores can sign-up online to sell surprise packages directly to consumers at the end of the day.

“The surplus food can be picked up in “surprise bags,” which creates a win-win-win situation,” said Sam Kashani, country manager at Good to Go. “The store or restaurant wins because they don’t throw out the food; consumer wins because they get food at a good price; and the planet and environment win because of the reduction in food waste.”

With food waste responsible for eight per cent of negative impact to the environment, Good to Go believes that reducing food waste is the number one action the restaurant industry can take to help fight climate change. They are currently active in 16 countries, and are getting more local businesses signing-up to participate in their movement every day. Within 10 to 15 minutes, business owners can be live on the app and ready to upload their surprise bags.

“Technology has given us access and scale to allow to us inspire everyone to join the fight. It allows us to scale quite quickly and create a connected marketplace. It allows us to communicate,” said Kashani. “We know food waste is unpredictable. When you have an unpredictable model, technology allows us to create a real-time market, which helps minimize the unpredictable nature of the industry.”

Whether food manufactures are combatting the food waste epidemic at the processing level or consumer level, food waste is something that impacts everyone through the supply chain. Using new innovative technology is the right step toward mitigating the effects of food waste in Canada.

This article was originally published in the September 2021 issue of Food in Canada.

Governments investing $3M to protect Ontario’s pork sector

ncaleb — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 13:05:17 +0000

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing nearly $3 million in three new initiatives as part of a co-ordinated effort to enhance biosecurity and support the provincial pork sector’s African swine fever (ASF) prevention and emergency preparedness efforts.

African swine fever is a viral disease affecting pigs, and could potentially disrupt Ontario’s supply chain. Many large-scale pork producers have strict biosecurity measures already in place, and this investment will provide additional support throughout the pork value chain to proactively enhance the sector’s biosecurity and preparedness. This co-ordinated effort aims to minimize the risk of introduction of ASF in the province and in Canada and mitigate the risks it poses to the industry.

Starting November 5, 2021, a new targeted intake under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership) will provide funding to Ontario pork producers, processors and other agri-businesses to support their training, education and planning, as well as for supply and infrastructure investments and modifications needed to strengthen swine-related operations, support industry businesses and protect the herds and livelihoods of Ontario pork producers.

“We know how hard Ontario pork producers work to keep such high standards for safety,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of agriculture and agri-food. “In the wake of growing concerns since African swine fever has been detected in the Caribbean, this funding will support new measures that protect the prosperity and resiliency of the entire sector.”

“Our role in government is not just to react to what happens in Ontario but to also be proactive to help mitigate risks to our agri-food sector and our food supply,” said Lisa Thompson, agriculture, food and rural affairs minister. “The recent detection of African swine fever in the Caribbean and the devastating impacts it has had in Europe and Asia is a good reminder to tighten protections all along the pork industry value chain to try to prevent the introduction of the disease, which would lead to significant market and trade disruptions.”

The intake for Ontario’s pork industry and related businesses will provide cost-share funding for eligible expenses that will support biosecurity improvements and emergency preparedness planning for the sector. This intake provides higher cost share at 50 per cent than other intakes under the Partnership because of the critical and urgent nature of this work.

Additionally, funding will be allocated under the Partnership for an education outreach and awareness campaign for “small holder” farms, or farms that market fewer than 1,000 hogs or 50 sows per year. The campaign will focus on increasing small hog producers’ awareness of the risks of ASF and the need for strong biosecurity and emergency preparedness measures.

Targeted financial support will also be provided to help the province’s producers of Eurasian wild boar (EWB) transition out of the production of these animals. Farm escapes of Eurasian wild boar amplify the population of wild pigs, which have already caused widespread problems in Canada’s prairie provinces and many American states – these wild pigs can damage crops and the natural environment and could transmit ASF to pork operations in Ontario.

To assist EWB farmers and encourage faster transition, producers who agree to stop raising them within six months will be eligible for funding to shift to other forms of production such as heritage breeds of swine, other livestock or crop production.