Seminar Discusses Processing Technologies And Applications For Plant-Based Ingredients

Plant-based ingredients and applications was the focus of a one-day seminar hosted by the Food Development Centre (FDC) in Portage la Prairie on Thursday.

About 100 people participated in a technical seminar focused on technologies around extracting sustainable plant proteins and how to evaluate them for their functionality, or how they function in a food matrix.

"So do they work in a cookie or are they soluble and do they work in a beverage?", explained Robin Young, FDC Chief Operating Officer.

Also discussing the applications of these plant-based foods where presenters from Germany, Illinois, and various partners from the University of Manitoba as well as other players in the flavour industry.

The day was co-hosted by the National Research Council of Canada of which Young explains the FDC has a contribution agreement that affords introductions to industries.

"As NRC runs into clients that could use some help or benefit from technology, we have a funding agreement with them that allows clients to be introduced to the centre and work with us, and the NRC funds a portion of the project," she said.

It was through that contribution agreement last year that the two entities discovered some clients would benefit from some technical information and also making connections to the equipment supplies and technical providers as they move from innovation to scaling-up.

"The concept of the plant-based opportunity, we're looking at everything from canola to soybeans, peas, hemp (and) oats," said Young. "Any of the prairie commodities have opportunities to be value-added to look at ingredient opportunities such as protein but also starches and fibers."