CFIN awards $294K to three foodtech projects

The Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) granted $294,497 to three foodtech projects through its Innovation Booster Program. The industry will match these funds to bring $588,992 in total project funding.

“Canadian foodtech startups are leading the way in creating safer food for consumers and delivering gains in operational efficiency to restaurants and manufacturers, all while finding ways to ensure the long-term sustainability of our food system,” said Dana McCauley, CFIN CEO.

The recipients of this program are Quebec’s Bliq Photonics, Ontario’s Harvest Systems and AgricUltra Advancements.

Bliq Photonics received $99,992 for their ‘Coagulation Measurement Probe for the Cheese Industry’ project. It is developing a non-contact optical probe to monitor cheese production in real-time, aimed at enhancing control and optimizing processes in the dairy industry.

“Artisanal cheese producers will achieve greater control over input variability, while larger volume cheese producers can integrate the technology to boost productivity and automate industrial processes. Therefore, the entire Canadian dairy industry will benefit from integrating this innovation,” said Bliq Photonics’ CFO, Mathieu Champagne.

The project will undergo a six-month pilot demonstration within the GTA and Hamilton. © CFIN

Harvest Systems secured $98,588 for their ‘Fryer-based HARVEST System with Ventilation Air Duct Heating Within a Restaurant Environment’ project. The company will use this grant to expand its water-heating Harvest platform, which focuses on repurposing waste heat from fryers to heat ventilation air in restaurants, thereby reducing costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our make-up air duct heater…leverages the ability of the Harvest Platform to harvest waste heat from cooking appliances, such as ovens and fryers, to temper make-up ventilation air using waste heat, resulting in lower operating costs and reduced emissions,” said James Cotton, CEO of Harvest Systems.

AgricUltra Advancements received $95,917 to advance food safety and extend produce shelf life using MetaRail UV sterilization technology through their project, ‘Advancing Food Safety and Shelf Life with MetaRail UV Sterilization.’ It is designed to sanitize production lines and enhance freshness without chemicals.

“Our understanding of how UV triggers specific pathways and effects ranging from plant tissue repair mechanisms, tissue hardening to pathogens, reproductive termination of microorganisms through to triggering programmed cell death have now been matched with the recent surge in new innovations in technology, enabling the creation of advanced solutions to age-old problems but with less energy and no use of toxic chemicals,” said Emil Breza, president, AgricUltra Advancements.

CFIN’s Innovation Booster program helps SMEs accelerate product development and overcome innovation hurdles. Fifty Canadian foodtech companies have received more than $4.2 million since 2021.