The Canadian Food Innovation Network announces investment of $3 million

The Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) announced an investment of over $3 million into five projects valued at approximately $7.3 million through the organization’s Food Innovation Challenge and Innovation Booster programs.

The Food Innovation Challenge funding recipients are:

• Gastronomous Technologies Inc., partnering with Recipe Unlimited and Sodexo Canada Limited, will receive $1,919,655 to fund the development of smart/connected kitchen equipment.
• Laboratoire Innodal Inc., partnering with Dempsey Corporation and E. Gagnon et Fils Limitée, will receive $943,592 to increase the shelf life of food with natural and clean label antimicrobials.

The Innovation Booster funding recipients are:

• Ag-Tronic Control Systems Inc. will receive $100,000 to finish the development of globally certified-compostable pressure-sensitive label materials.
•  Canadian Pacifico Seaweeds Ltd. will receive $93,304 to scale up the extraction, activation and utilization of vitamin B12 and other water-soluble functional compounds found in Pacific seaweeds.
• Groupe Foodarom Inc. will receive $99,834 to develop a solution composed of natural ingredients with antimicrobial properties to eliminate multi-resistant fungal contaminants that are found in concentrated fruit syrups and purees.

“By investing in breakthrough and transformative innovation, CFIN stimulates collaboration across the food sector and enables high-potential Canadian food innovators to advance past technical hurdles that create barriers to commercialization,” Joseph Lake, CEO, Canadian Food Innovation Network. “This first round of investment programming will help Canadian players in the food sector compete and lead on the global stage.”

The Innovation Booster is open for submission, closing July 7, and The Food Innovation Challenge has launched its second call for proposals, focusing on digitization and digitalization solutions, with letters of intent being accepted June 1 to July 7.