Developing new plant-based products made using Canadian-grown crops
TECHNOLOGY PRIORITY
Sell
PROJECT TIMELINE
March 2021 to December 2022
PROJECT STATUS
Fund I: Complete
TOTAL INVESTMENT
$5,839,857
Consortia Contribution
$2,856,763
Cluster Contribution
$2,983,094
PARTNERS
Merit Functional Foods
Daiya Foods
The Winning Combination, Inc.
Goal
Add value to Canadian pea and canola proteins and finished products through functionalization and sensory improvements.
Project Summary
The partners tested Merit's pea, canola and blended pea-canola protein ingredients in new plant-based products, such as alternative meat products, alternative dairy products and other beverages developed by TWC Nutrition and Daiya Foods, to improve taste, texture and fortification limitations of plant-based food products.
Results and Impact
- Funding of this project allowed Merit, Daiya and TWC to successfully and more rapidly expand their product line.
- Merit and Protein Industries Canada worked together to successfully obtain approval from Health Canada on the novel food status for Merit’s canola protein portfolio, which is expected to set a new standard for organic, non-GMO pea proteins. Merit anticipates that this authorization will facilitate approval and usage of its canola portfolio in other international markets.
- This project enabled Daiya to strengthen their relationship with a Canadian supplier of high-quality plant-protein ingredients, which in turn, can be commercialized, providing a sustainable and competitive advantage.
- This project offers a unique opportunity for a plant-protein manufacturer to collaborate directly with manufacturers in three of the strongest growth areas for plant-based foods: RTM, and dairy and meat alternatives. Bringing the manufacturer of the finished goods into the protein ingredient development process early will increase the chances of successful outcomes in the form of consumer product acceptance.
