Innovate B.C. offers $300K to develop fat replacement technology

Innovate B.C. awards $300,000 to Peqish Group, Food and Hospitality and Anubhav Pratap-Singh of the University of British Columbia through its Ignite program. The funding will support the development of a low-calorie fat replacement using dietary fibres derived from chia seeds. This new technology could replace ingredients like palm oil, reducing saturated and unsaturated fat content in food.

“We are proud to deliver the Ignite program, which provides critical funding to drive the commercial success of cutting-edge solutions coming out of the industry and academic partnerships in British Columbia,” said Peter Cowan, president and CEO of Innovate B.C.

The goal of this project is to increase the availability of healthy food options and address health issues such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

The project was selected because of its potential for commercial success, technical viability, and ability to be market-ready within three years.