The Canadian government has announced plans to invest C$120,000 to support the Canadian Food Innovators (CFI) science cluster in its efforts to connect food and beverage makers to resources available through research centres, universities and food technology centres.

 This additional funding brings the total investment with CFI to $2.6 million.

CFI is an industry-led group that unites scientific research expertise in industry, academia and government in order to accelerate innovation through commercialisation and adoption of innovative agri-based products, technologies, processes and services. The group will be holding Food and Beverage Innovation Priority Forum sessions across the country, gathering input from Canada’s food and beverage processors regarding research needs and innovation priorities at the company level. 

The Canadian Council of Food Processors (CCFP) was incorporated in 2010. Its membership includes the seven provincial and regional food processing associations in the country: Alberta Food Processors Association, Food and Beverage Ontario, Atlantic Food & Beverage Processors Association, British Columbia Food Processors Association, Manitoba Food Processors Association, Quebec Food Processors and Consumer Product Council, and Saskatchewan Food and Ingredient Processors Association. Together, CCFP provincial member associations represent 1,800 companies nationwide.

“We welcome this opportunity to consult with food and beverage processing businesses across the country to receive their input into research priorities that will help shape the next national food processing research cluster,” said CFI Chair David Shambrock.“Canada’s food and beverage processing sector buys and processes over 50% of farmers’ production across Canada into consumer-ready products that are sold across Canada and into numerous export markets. CFI is here to support innovation within companies and the competitiveness of the entire industry.”

The food and beverage processing industry accounted for the largest share (16%) of the total manufacturing sector GDP in 2014, according to government data.