More protein, more ingredients, more options

Vancouver, B.C. — The size and diversity of Canada’s crop sector has been instrumental in helping drive growth within the country’s plant-based food and ingredients sector. Today, that sector can add a new possibility to its list of high-quality, sustainable ingredients: protein derived from Canadian-grown and -processed sunflowers.

Burcon NutraScience and Pristine Gourmet, with a co-investment from Protein Industries Canada, are coming together to leverage Canada’s supply of sunflower seeds in a project that will determine how best to extract as much protein as possible from the crop. Sunflower’s natural neutral colour and taste, along with its lack of allergens, makes it an ideal crop for the development of new ingredients that can help Canada meet the growing global demand for plant-based products.

“Protein Industries Canada continues to lead the way by bringing together key players of Canada’s plant-based food and ingredient ecosystem. This exciting project will pave the way for broader use of sunflowers in plant-based foods while ensuring the vibrant agri-food sector continues to innovate,” the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry said. “Canadians will benefit by having more options for top-quality products, and local farmers and processors will be able to seize new business opportunities.”

"Canadian companies continue to be leaders in plant-based protein products, this time by developing the potential of sunflowers. This project will advance new technology to extract protein from the seeds of the plant. By so doing, our industry will continue to contribute to the food security of a growing global population with high-quality sustainable products," said the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food said.

Currently, Canadian sunflower protein is primarily used in livestock feed and pet food. By finding and perfecting new processing methods, Burcon and Pristine Gourmet will help increase the value and uses of the crop, creating the foundation for a wide variety of new plant-based foods and beverages. At the same time, this step into a new market will enable both companies to grow their operations, expanding their market footprint and creating new jobs in Canada.

“The innovation shown by Burcon NutraSciences and Pristine Gourmet is the most recent example of Canadian businesses driving change across the plant-based food and ingredients sector,” Protein Industries Canada CEO Bill Greuel said. “Together, they’re substantially increasing the potential food uses of Canada’s sunflowers, increasing the value of the crop and strengthening our economy and supply chain while providing Canadian consumers with new healthy and delicious choices.”

Through the $973,000 project investment—of which Protein Industries Canada is contributing $250,000 and the partners are contributing the remainder—Burcon and Pristine Gourmet will evaluate and optimize protein extraction techniques and processes, evaluate the protein differences between different sunflower meals, test sunflower protein samples in food applications, and scale up their preferred processing method into a pilot plant.

“Sunflower protein checks all the boxes as an ideal source of plant-based protein,” said Peter H. Kappel, Burcon’s interim CEO and Chairman of the board, adding, “With this investment, Burcon and Pristine Gourmet can accelerate the development of value-added premium protein ingredients coming from a by-product normally used as animal feed.”

“This collaboration with Burcon NutraScience is providing our team with an opportunity to expand both our potential and that of Canada’s high quality sunflower crop,” Persall Fine Foods owner Jason Persall said. “With the project’s focus on improving Canada’s plant protein supply for the food ingredient market through innovative processing techniques, we’re helping solve current supply chain issues while providing consumers with healthy, sustainable food options. It will open up some new opportunities not only for our own cold-pressed oils, but also for the processing sector as a whole.”

The collaborative, innovative research undertaken through this project will increase the value of one of Canada’s under-utilized crops, while strengthening both our food supply chain and economy through the opening of new market opportunities.

Over the past three years, Protein Industries Canada and industry partners have invested more than $485 million into growing Canada’s plant-based food, feed and ingredient sector. The results of these investments include improved farming practices, increased sustainability, traceability, and the production of new ingredients and food products.

Miranda Burski
Protein Industries Canada
Regina, Sask.
306-581-1340
miranda@proteinsupercluster.ca

Burcon is a global technology leader in the development of plant-based proteins for foods and beverages. With over two decades of experience formulating high-purity proteins that have superior functionality, taste and nutrition, Burcon has amassed an extensive patent portfolio covering its novel plant-based proteins derived from pea, canola, soy, hemp, sunflower seed, among other plant sources. In 2019, Merit Functional Foods Corporation ("Merit Foods") was established between Burcon and three veteran food industry executives. Merit Foods has since built and commissioned a state-of-the-art protein production facility in Manitoba, Canada that is producing, under license from Burcon, best-in-class pea and canola proteins for the food and beverage industries.

For more information, visit www.burcon.ca.

Pristine Gourmet is a brand under the umbrella of Persall Fine Foods, which is a circular integrated food company based on the Persall family’s fourth-generation Ontario farm. Persall Fine Foods is focused on adding value to sunflower, canola, soybean and pumpkin oilseeds through cold-press technology. Persall Fine Foods gained respect in the broad food community through Pristine Gourmet and its exceptional cold-pressed virgin oils. Persall Fine Foods continues to grow in size, seeking new markets for oil and protein that bring quality and value to customers.