Alberta’s plant-based food sector receives $2.6M from feds
by CM Staff
The goal of this initiative is to enable agri-food producers to turn their crops into higher value ingredients
WD’s investment of more than $2.6 million for the Food Processing Development Centre in Leduc, Alberta, will help companies develop new plant-based foods and products (PHOTO: Western Economic Diversification Canada)
EDMONTON, Alta. — On Aug. 12, the Government of Canada announced more than $2.6 million in federal funding for the Food Processing Development Centre in Leduc, Alberta.
“This funding will help Alberta’s agri-food producers innovate, expand, and create value-added products for market. With this investment, Western Economic Diversification Canada is helping to create a reliable and secure food supply chain in Western Canada that is providing employment for residents across the region,” said Terry Duguid, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, in a prepared statement.
According to the announcement, the investment will support the installation of equipment specifically focused on supporting companies to develop new plant-based foods and products. The goal of this initiative is to enable agri-food producers to turn their crops into higher value ingredients or finished products before exporting them to markets around the globe.
Operated by the Government of Alberta, the Food Processing Development Centre is staffed with experienced food scientists, engineers, and technologists. Over the next four years, Government of Canada support will enable the Centre to assist approximately 100 small- and medium-sized companies, and potentially bring up to 30 new products to market.
