Protein Industries Canada announces five projects aimed at strengthening Canadian food supply chain
Leading Canadian food, ingredient and beverage companies incorporating more Canadian ingredients in products for commercialization across the country
Winnipeg, MB, Sept. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Protein Industries Canada announced five projects focused on expanding the availability or use of Canadian-grown and -processed ingredients. Part of the Strengthening the Canadian Supply Chain program, the projects will provide Canadian families with a wider selection of locally made food options, while also ensuring a more secure domestic food supply.
“The resilience and success of our agrifood supply chain are vital to Canada’s economy,” said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. “By harnessing the potential of Canadian crops and ingredients through innovation, Protein Industries Canada is helping to overcome trade-related challenges while ensuring access to high-quality, locally sourced food and creating lasting economic opportunities from coast to coast.”
“Our farmers and producers work tirelessly to produce reliable, high-quality food. By including more homegrown ingredients in the products Canadians buy every day, these projects will support our farmers, strengthen our economy, and help keep our food system strong and secure in the face of global uncertainty,” said the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
“Protein Industries Canada has been an invaluable partner pushing innovation and competitiveness in Canadian plant-based protein and today’s announcement promises to unlock even more of our agrifood’s sector’s immense growth potential. By helping companies use local crops, we cut shipping costs, keep supply chains close to home, and create good jobs in rural communities,” said the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development.
Launched in response to concerns around trade-related tension, the Strengthening the Canadian Supply Chain program will help Canadian agrifood companies use more Canadian products, lessening reliance on imports. This means a more resilient domestic supply chain, with more food products made with Canadian ingredients, for Canadians.
“By supporting Canadian companies in finding innovative solutions to tariffs and other trade challenges, our Strengthening the Canadian Supply Chain program is helping keep Canada competitive in the global food market,” Protein Industries Canada Board Chair Tyler Groenveld said. “The development of these new, Canadian-sourced and -processed ingredients and food products is more than an opportunity to utilize more Canadian crops here at home. It’s an opportunity for Canada to come closer to seizing its $25 billion agrifood potential, strengthening our economy, creating new jobs and securing our domestic food supply chain.”
The five projects announced today span Canada’s agrifood sector, representing companies from Ontario and British Columbia, and the ingredient manufacturing and food processing industries. The new ingredients, foods and beverage commercialized as a result will boost the use of Canadian protein crops, supporting farmers while offering families across the country a wider variety of options at the grocery store.
Examples of the products that will be launched as a result of these projects include:
- Earth’s Own Foods will be transitioning its US-based soybean supply to source directly from Canada, creating a fully Canadian soy-based beverage and providing consumers with a great tasting, high-protein Canadian-produced dairy alternative.
- Oat & Mill is replacing their US-sourced pea protein with new Canadian protein ingredients, supporting local farmers while improving the sustainability of their products.
- Cedar Valley Selections is reformulating their pita chips to include Canadian pulses, reducing the chips’ oil absorption during production to create a healthier, more sustainable snack for Canadian families to enjoy.
A total of $1.3 million has been invested into the five projects, with Protein Industries Canada committing $615,000 and the companies committing the remainder. Information about each of the companies and their projects is available in the attached backgrounder.
Protein Industries Canada is one of Canada’s five Global Innovation Clusters. These projects are part of Protein Industries Canada’s broader effort to support domestic innovation and drive forward The Road to $25 Billion—a national vision to grow Canada’s plant-based food, feed, and ingredient sector into a $25 billion industry and make Canada the leading provider of plant-based ingredients.
Attachment
Tiffany Stephenson Protein Industries Canada 306-519-8202 tiffany@proteinsupercluster.ca
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