Protein Industries Canada opens call for projects on blending pulses, cereals to create new food products

Protein Industries Canada (PIC) is accepting expressions of interest (EOIs) for a new round of technology projects focusing on the blending of pulses and cereals to create the next generation of high-protein, plant-based ingredients and food products.

“As people look to include more protein and fibre in their diets, we are seeing demand for new functionality in ingredients,” said senior director of programs Lisa Campbell. “Combining pulses and cereals can improve the overall protein and fibre content of the food product, while also combining to create a more complete protein. Combining pulses and cereals—two of Canada’s mainstay crops—can help food manufacturers meet the demand of consumers for healthy baked goods and snack food items.”

Through this call, Protein Industries Canada is looking to invest $10 million into projects to explore the blending of cereals and pulses, as well as projects that only contain cereals – with a preference to wheat or barley. This is the first time that Protein Industries Canada has issued a call specifically to cereal-based projects. Previous projects focused on establishing the innovation infrastructure for crops such as peas and fava. While that support remains, PIC believes expanding to include more cereals is key to furthering Canada’s ingredient manufacturing and food processing sector.

In addition to the expanded call, Protein Industries Canada will also now consider projects with a minimum of two collaborators, a decrease from the previous three. One partner must be an SME, and projects must include the use of a high-protein dryland crop. Approved projects may receive up to 45 per cent reimbursement of eligible costs.

Expressions of interest (EOIs) for projects may be submitted until Jan. 16, 2025; however, consortiums are encouraged to submit their EOIs as soon as they are ready. EOIs will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, allowing successful submissions to move to the next step in the process in a timely manner.