Sustainability drives new fava processor for Canada’s prairies

A fully-sustainable, research and market-driven, plant protein innovation hub is coming to Strathmore, Alta., to fill the province’s gap in value-added pulse processing. Phytokana, a plant protein processor, developer and distributor, was founded based on understanding customer and market needs.

Chris Theal, President and CEO, says every aspect of the company, from its mission to the innovation hub’s design, is driven by discussions about the market’s needs and opportunities in Alberta and beyond.

“It’s been a very collaborative research and innovation exercise,” Theal says. “We immersed ourselves in the sector. We really explored what customers are looking for and what they feel is needed.”

As the company works toward breaking ground and setting up the new facility, a pilot plant has allowed Phytokana to fine-tune product offerings, create custom-designed process flows, raise capital and ensure the new facility – which won’t require heat, chemicals or water for processing – can meet market demand for the long-term. In phase one, the hub will be able to process 30,000 tonnes of pulses per year with a pre-engineered capacity to double that volume as new crops are advanced into production.

At the pilot plant, Phytokana processes fava beans into three products: a 70 per cent pure protein concentrate, a low-protein flour and a milled fava flour suitable for snack items, baking and inclusion in meat, dairy and alternative foods. Fava was the ideal starting point due to its mild taste, sustainable growing practices and flexibility in use.

Other pulses will be evaluated for the Phytokana product line in the future through ongoing R&I work in collaboration with core customers.

“We will contract the crop from farmers, bring it to our facility, test it, clean and dehull it, and employ niche technologies and AI to deliver native functionality and consistent quality in ready-to-eat ingredients for global customers,” Theal says of how the end-to-end process will work. “I see our facility as the hub of alternative protein options in Alberta. A place where sustainability and better for you ingredients are at our very core.”