Improving the health of Canadians using sustainable, environmentally friendly options

Angela Oladiwura is driven by solving problems. One of the most significant in her life was what to do when faced with the challenge of switching industries during a major drop in oil prices several years ago. That challenge, however, led her to Canada’s plant-based food, feed and ingredients sector.

“I began to look for other opportunities in my environment and sought to identify problems and their potential solutions based on my existing skillset,” Oladiwura said. “Due to my passion in compositional analysis and familial health challenges, it meant a natural progression towards food development and ultimately the creation of sustainable foods beyond wheat as a solution for diabetes and obesity.”

Today, Oladiwura uses her background in engineering to run Prester Foods, the plant-based food company she established in 2017. Despite much of her experience being in oil and gas, Oladiwura has transferred her skillset over well.

Prester Foods has developed a line of products that includes cereal, pasta and rice, which feature a mix of Saskatchewan-grown pulses. While the products aren’t yet available to consumers, Oladiwura said the company is in the process of making them affordable to their target market: consumers living with chronic diseases such as diabetes and others seeking a healthy diet.

“We are looking forward to establishing more strategic partnerships, getting our products to the shelves of retail outlets and to the tables of consumers across the world who need our products,” Oladiwura said. “We are positive it will happen soon.”

While open to new partnerships, Oladiwura is also grateful for the support Prester Foods has received in its first few years of operations. She cited having received funding from each the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, the Government of Canada and Ag-West Bio, and having attended the Beyond Entrepreneurship training program. The company also leveraged expertise and infrastructure available through the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre, which helped it develop its products and be ready to file its first patent applications across multiple territories.

These first few years haven’t been without their challenges, however.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly slowed down our business plans due to the extended lockdown, supply chain issues and of course labour shortage across industries,” Oladiwura said. “The impact of the pandemic appears to be more significant on start-ups, and we are riding the storm and certainly need to be more inventive and flexible in the current business environment.”

The challenges she’s encountered haven’t stopped Oladiwura. She’s persevered through the pandemic, and is looking for partners to help launch Prester Foods’ products into the market. She hopes to have them on Canadian plates soon, improving their health while providing them with a tasty meal.