New technology fortifies grain food products

Oct. 23, 2013, Seaforth, ON – The government is investing more than $155,000 in Everspring Farms Ltd. for the production of flour and sprouted seed products ingrained with DHA/EPA omega 3.

"This is a great example of how innovation is helping our producers stay competitive," said Member of Parliament Ben Lobb, in a news release. "Fortifying grains with essential fatty acids provides Canadians with a product that meets their health and wellness concerns, while boosting the bottom line of farmers through an increased demand for agricultural commodities."

Everspring Farms has worked with Sharp Ingrained Functional Foods to develop a technology to fortify grains and seeds with essential fatty acids DHA and EPA under the brand Smartgrain Complete Omega 3. This technology is the first process to commercialize ingrained omega 3 DHA/EPA grain products in North America.

The investment, supported through the AgriInnovation Program (AIP), helped Everspring Farms improve their manufacturing facility. It also allowed the company to purchase new equipment to produce DHA/EPA omega 3-enhanced ingrained flour and sprouted seed products such as flax, wheat, oats, rice and barley.

The AIP is a $50-million initiative announced under Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2011.

"The value of AIP funding to our business is two-fold," said Dale Donaldson, president of Everspring Farms, in a press release. "Firstly, as a repayable interest-free loan it removes the uncertainty of that cost. Secondly and most importantly, it allows our company to secure financing for projects that would have difficulty receiving funding from traditional banking models. We also support the concept that it is a repayable loan, which ensures good value for the taxpayers investment assuming our project has long-term success."

The Growing Forward 2 policy framework, which took effect on Apr. 1, includes a new AIP valued at up to $698 million over five years. It is designed to serve as a catalyst for innovation by supporting research, development and commercialization of new ideas that result in new products and technologies.

For more information on this agreement, please visit www.agr.gc.ca/growingforward2.