The food processing industry in Saskatchewan will benefit from the opening of the state-of-the-art Agri-Food Innovation Centre, a new facility operated by the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre Inc. (Food Centre).
Today the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness celebrated the opening of this new $15.7 million facility, which provides fully integrated concept-to-commercialization services through applied research for agricultural products, product and process development, and incubation for entrepreneurs and agri-food processors.
In addition, he also announced two new investments totalling $417,500 for the Food Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada.
The first investment of $117,500, through the Western Diversification Program (WDP), will enable the Food Centre to purchase equipment to separate and isolate protein from alfalfa and split field peas on a pilot-scale level.
The second WDP investment of $300,000 will also help the Food Centre purchase additional equipment and develop commercial uses for Western Canadian pulse starch by-products, left over from the protein separation process.
The Food Centre is the primary provider of food product development, technology transfer, commercialization and food safety training for Saskatchewan's food industry. It has been instrumental in developing hundreds of products, many of which have already been introduced to market. It is also an integral part of Saskatchewan's value-added food sector, particularly in development related to cereal grains, oilseeds, pulses and edible oils.
Canada's Innovation Agenda promotes clean growth, good jobs and higher living standards for the middle class. The investments announced today are an example of this vision in action.
Source : Western Economic Diversification Canada