Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
January 10, 2020
Today, Pitura Seeds announced their involvement in a Protein Industries Canada funded project. The project will develop high-quality pea and canola proteins, and bring additional opportunities to western Canadian farmers.
The partnership is being led by Merit Functional Foods and also includes The Winning Combination. Both companies are based in Winnipeg, MB. The three businesses from across the value chain will work together to develop pea and canola proteins for use in high-value food applications such as plant-protein based food and beverage products.
Protein Industries Canada (PIC) is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization created to position Canada as a global source of high-quality plant protein and plant-based co-products. They are one of Canada’s five innovation Superclusters.
“This project is a great example of why the Innovation Supercluster Initiative was created,” CEO of PIC Bill Greuel said. “The consortium consists of businesses across the value chain coming together to create new products not currently produced anywhere else in the world. This will increase the demand and value of some of Western Canada’s biggest agriculture commodities – peas and canola – and create new products to sell to customers across the globe.”
Pitura Seeds’ involvement in the project will be two-fold. First, the company will utilize its state-of-the-art seed cleaning plant to develop a set of cleaning standards to achieve optimal protein and quality levels for canola and peas. Second, Pitura Seeds will source and test varieties to determine which have the best agronomic fit for growers in Western Canada, while meeting the quality needed for this application.
“We are very excited to represent the agriculture sector in this cross-value chain project,” said Tom Greaves, President and General Manager of Pitura Seeds. “Pitura Seeds is focused on bringing value to our customers, and this project brings a unique opportunity to develop new end-use applications and secure the best varieties for farmers.”
The processing of the new products will occur at Merit Functional Foods’ plant protein facility, currently being constructed in Winnipeg. The Winning Combination will help Merit assess pea and canola functionality and stability.
“This funding is exciting and empowering for Merit as it grows as a company,” Merit Co-CEO Ryan Bracken said. “It is helping us overcome many of the hurdles that new companies typically experience, and instead, unlocking numerous opportunities for us – including job creation, technology expansion, and more.”
Pitura Seeds was on-hand at Merit’s site in Winnipeg for PIC’s formal announcement on January 10.
“Pitura Seeds is proud to partner in this new project, which will bring significant value to Western Canadian farmers,” said Tom Greaves.
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