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, the research arm of The Culinary Institute of Canada, has received almost $50,000 in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for food product development projects.

Canada’s Smartest Kitchen (CSK) works with companies of all sizes to develop innovative food and beverage products. The NSERC funding, provided under the Engage grant program, is for two projects, one with Sunrise Foods, located in Dartmouth, N.S., and one with Direct NutriSciences, located in Milton Station, P.E.I.

The research chefs in CSK are focusing on the development of allergen-free seed-based spreads for Sunrise Foods.

“The results so far have been very impressive, and we look forward to the development of a unique and nutritious snacking item. Successful development should lead to export opportunities and increased employment locally. We appreciate the support of NSERC for making this research possible,” said Kelvin Sams, President of Sunrise Foods Inc.

The team is working with Direct NutriSciences to develop a savoury vegan meal replacement. Alan Andreasen, CEO for Direct NutriSciences, sees this project as the beginning of a long-term relationship with Canada’s Smartest Kitchen.

“Direct NutriSciences Inc. is excited to work with Canada's Smartest Kitchen on the development of an innovative new health food product. We are grateful to NSERC for providing support for this project to ensure that all the necessary steps are taken to bring to market a successful product concept,” he said. “We look forward to exploring other future opportunities through this unique partnership.”

By partnering with CSK and the Office of Applied Research at Holland College, start-ups and seasoned companies can participate in research and product development activities which they may not be able to lead on their own. With extensive expertise in product development, the CSK R&D team works through culinary, scientific, and technical challenges, but the client maintains intellectual property rights to their products.

Tim McRoberts, Director of Canada’s Smartest Kitchen, said that, for many small companies, these projects are tremendously important, and NSERC grants are a vital component.

“Funding such as this is an important piece of the research and development journey toward commercialization and knowledge transfer,” he said.

For more information about Canada’s Smartest Kitchen visit smartestkitchen.ca, call 902-566-9373, or email csk@hollandcollege.com.

In this picture: Food product developers Michael Bryanton and Jennifer Bryant at work in Canada’s Smartest Kitchen.