Merit Functional Foods canola and pea protein facility now up and running

10-Nov-2021 - Last updated on 10-Nov-2021 at 17:05 GMT

Photo Credit: Merit Functional Foods

Plant-based ingredients supplier Merit Functional Foods is ready to meet industry demand from food and beverage manufacturers for its pea and canola proteins produced out of its now fully-scaled and commercially-ready 94,000-square-foot facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The construction project took just over a year to build (completed in December 2020) supported by significant investment from a consortium of Canadian agriculture players, including $10m in debt-free financing from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in June 2020.

With construction, commissioning, and optimization now complete, Merit said it can now ensure ample supply of pea and canola protein for the rapidly growing plant-based foods market.

“We know that plant-based products are here to stay, and we are proud to play a huge part in bringing more plant-based protein to the world,” Merit’s Co-CEO Ryan Bracken said. “We’re here to provide the market with non-GMO pea and canola protein that raises the bar for functionality and nutritive content.”

Launched in 2019, Merit’s portfolio of pea and canola protein ingredients are produced using its proprietary protein extraction technology, which the company claims “exceed industry standards for purity, solubility, taste, and other key attributes” as it can achieve upwards of 90% purity in both its "taste-forward" pea and canola protein ingredients.

“As brands and consumers become more and more interested in the ingredients that go into their products, we’re committed to ensuring that the plant proteins we produce exceed their expectations," said Bracken.

Through its MeritPro Solutions platform, the company is able to offer product developers higher levels of plant protein in their formulations, according to Merit.

“High quality, consistent supply, increased functionality, and customized solutions are what we know the market needs, and that’s why we’re here to deliver on all of the above," added Bracken, who noted that the team has doubled in size in the past year to support its growth and expansion in the plant-based protein sector.