Inside SIAL Canada 2026: Driving Food Innovation Through Connection and Collaboration
CFIN had the honour of taking a bite out of SIAL Canada 2026 in Montréal 🍎—connecting with partners, members, and industry leaders shaping the future of food innovation across Canada and beyond. Representing CFIN on site were CEO @Dana McCauley and @Julie Daigle , Regional Innovation Director (Quebec), who engaged with the ecosystem throughout the event. Their presence reflected CFIN’s ongoing commitment to strengthening Canada’s food innovation ecosystem and supporting high-potential foodtech ventures. Attendees could also catch Julie as a Foodtech Focus expert at the SIAL Canada Expert Hub, where she connected directly with innovators and shared insights with the community. Dana also took the stage as part of the Dairy Talks program, contributing to a forward-looking discussion on innovation as a driver of market leadership in the Canadian dairy sector. Her session explored the shift from incremental product development toward a broader innovation mindset—highlighting next-generation ingredients, value-added dairy formats, new go-to-market strategies, and the role of Industry 4.0 technologies like AI, robotics, automation, and digital supply chains in strengthening productivity and global competitiveness. A key highlight of the week was CFIN’s involvement in the 7th edition of the Startup Pitch Competition, held on April 30 on the Food & Bev Connect stage. Julie Daigle participated as the President of the Foodtech jury, joining a panel of industry experts evaluating promising entrepreneurs from the Startup Village. Beyond the competition, the Startup Pitch stage served as a strategic platform connecting entrepreneurs with buyers, investors, and key decision-makers across the agri-food ecosystem. A standout moment for the CFIN community was the recognition of Maia Farms, a CFIN member and funding recipient, which earned the Gold Prize in the foodtec h competition 🍄🏆 CFIN’s presence at SIAL Canada underscored the momentum of Canada’s food innovation sector and the value of convening the ecosystem to accelerate ideas from concept to commercialization. 📖 Explore more from SIAL Canada 2026 R elive the stories, innovations, and key moments captured throughout the show in the official SIAL Canada Daily: SIAL Canada Daily – 2026 Edition (Photos Courtesy of SIAL)
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Five Years of CFIN: A Letter to the Network
Thirty years ago, I worked as a chef in the kitchen of one of Canada’s top restaurants standing should er to shoulder with people who ca red about the sensory experience of food above all else . Our tech stack was al most all analog and , to be honest, we didn’t give our ordering system or the way we did inventory a lot of thought. My career broadened over time , and I ’ ve also held roles where I developed recipes at Canadian Living and wrote about food trends; built innovation strategies and products for national brands, founded a business incubator, and ran a venture creation office at a prestigious Canadian u niversity . Food was always the thread , and technology was always present but in most of the food focused businesses I’ve worked for, it was taken for granted, and creativity and hard work were what drove the businesses forward. While smart people with great ideas are essential to food business success, it’s not enough to be competitive in today’s world. Old ways of running restaurants, innovation labs and food and beverage processi ng businesses can’t compete internationally or absorb the trade shocks that have become commonpla ce in recent history. That’s why I feel l ik e CFIN is the perfect place for me to be today and why we’re adding dozens of new members per week. When CFIN was created in 2021, the mandate was intentionally broad : cata lyze Canadian food innovation with funding , build community, connect an ecosystem that had been operating in silos for decades. The funding programs took shape quickly. Since 2022, we’ve awar ded $23.3 million to 133 projects across six program s. For every $1 CFIN invested, our members committed $7.65 of their own capital toward innovation. This leverage ratio of nearly 8-to-1 has unlocked over $140 m illion in private sector spending on R&D and capital infrastructure. The other work was harder to define . What do "build community" and "connect an ecosystem" mean in practice for a sector span ning startups, processors, researchers, investors, policymakers, and operators spread across this vast country ? Th at question didn't have a tidy answer. As a result , fostering and serving this network was (and remains ) an exercise in innovation itself : something new to be built , and then tested, adjusted, and iterated upon , ad infinitum . I’m immensely proud of what we’ve built so far . A team of Regional Innovation Directors who've supported more than 2,200 organizations, brokering the introductions that became commercial partnerships, strategic investments, leadership hires, and research collaborations. A digital platform , YODL, connecting Canada's food sector across industry silos and bridging interprovincial barriers . The first comprehensive analysis of Canadian foodtech . A network of 8,500 members from every province, every part of the food value chain, every stage of business . On any given week, our community is discussing topics ranging from precision fermentation bioreactor designs and funding stacks to food packaging labeling regulations and export strategies, all in the same space. Members benefit from purpose-built tools and resources — like our Funding Finder that aggregates food and beverage funding opportunities across the country and a growing library of original sector research and analysis — alongside direct access to our Regional Innovation Directors. Canada has strong regional funders, accelerators, trade associations, and tech transfer offices, each doing necessary work in a defined lane. What this sector didn't have was a place where the conversation s , the tools, and the connections all showed up at once — where the range of problems and the range of capabilities were dense enough that the right solutions could emerge . That's what CFIN has built. That foundation is important because the next five years will be even more dynamic, and often more challenging, than the last five . To keep pace and flourish in an increasingly volatile world, Canada's food sector needs to modernize faster and more strategic ally than ever before . Trade disruption is dramaticall y reshaping supply chains . L abour constraints are compounding a productivity gap that was widening long before tariffs became front-page news. Climate pressures are intensifying. Food 4.0 — a tech-enabled food s ector that's more collaborative, productive, resilient, and competitive — is the framework CFIN is building toward, and the case for it gets more urgent by the quarter. I ’m confident that we’re up to the task . Five years ago, Canada's food innovation ecosystem was fragmented, underleveraged, and often invisible to the investors, operators, policymakers, and media who needed to see it. That's no longer true. The capacity to respond to the challenges ahead is here. Not in any single program or policy, but in the breadth of this network — the founders , processors , researchers , and investo rs who are hungry to innovate and build a better Canadian food sector . My own wide-ranging path through the food sector taught me that no single role ever showed me the full picture. It took working across kitchens, labs, newsrooms, boardrooms, and startups to understand how innovation really moves through this industry — and where it get s stuck. CFIN was built on the same insight. A sector this complex, facing challenges this urgent, needs more than funding or advice or connections in isolation. It needs all of them in the same room. That's what we've spent five years building, and I'm betting the next five will prove its value at a scale none of us can yet imagine. Thank you for being part of it. Dana McCauley, CEO, Canadian Food Innovation Network
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How BC is Becoming a National Foodtech Hub
Editor's Note: This article was o riginally published in the Vancouver Tech Journal on March 13, 2026 The province has a diverse food processing industry, world-class research facilities, and a deep bench of tech talent — everything a foodtech ecosystem needs to thrive. Foodtech builds the software, automation, and applied science for how food gets processed, manufactured, packaged, distributed, and sold. The industry behind it is enormous — food and beverage processing alone is Canada's largest manufacturing sub-sector , bigger than automotive, bigger than aerospace. It's a serious market, and in British Columbia, it's growing fast. But if you work in the province's broader tech ecosystem, you might not even know that. Foodtech hasn't traditionally drawn the same attention as sectors like cleantech or enterprise SaaS despite being a comparable market in scale and complexity — and one where demand for new technology is accelerating fast. What BC brings to the table BC's food processing sector is substantial — over 3,200 companies producing roughly $12.6 billion in value-added products annually. And it's being treated as a strategic priority. The province has funded a network of shared food processing hubs, UBC just opened a Food and Beverage Innovation Centre with pilot-scale production labs that processors and startups previously had to leave BC to access, and SFU's BC Centre for Agritech Innovation is partnering directly with SMEs on cost-shared R&D. At the same time, much of what the food industry needs is already being built in BC for other thriving tech sectors. Process automation, energy management, supply chain software, safety and traceability systems, data-driven quality control — these are cleantech and software problems applied to production floors and distribution networks. The talent, research base, and trade infrastructure to support a serious foodtech cluster are all here. A different kind of tech sector Foodtech doesn't work like enterprise SaaS or consumer tech. Processors and manufacturers adopt slowly and carefully, because failure is expensive in ways that go beyond lost revenue — a food safety issue, a botched line integration, a regulatory problem. Sales cycles run in quarters. The investor community that understands food is small and specialized. And the industry's own networks run through trade associations, existing supply relationships, and sector-specific events that sit well outside the broader tech community's orbit. None of this means foodtech is closed off. It means that if you want in — as a founder, investor, developer, or potential partner — you need a way to access the conversations, the deal flow, and the operating knowledge that don't surface through the usual channels. The Canadian Food Innovation Network The Canadian Food Innovation Network is a national not-for-profit, established in 2021 that functions as the operating infrastructure for Canada's foodtech sector. CFIN runs cost-shared funding programs that help companies de-risk R&D and move technology into commercial settings. Since launch , the organization has awarded over $22 million to 122 Canadian foodtech projects, matched by $25 million in industry co-investment. Those funded companies have generated $90 million in economic impact, created over 355 jobs and co-op placements, and attracted more than $82 million in follow-on investment. The network's 8,000-plus members include food processors, technology companies, ingredient suppliers, retailers, researchers, and investors — connected through YODL, CFIN's member platform, and supported by Regional Innovation Directors embedded across the country, who work directly with members to broker introductions, navigate funding, and connect emerging technology with the processors and buyers who need it. CFIN also produces the sector's most detailed intelligence . The Foodtech in Canada 2025 Ecosystem Report mapped investment flows, identified sector strengths, and gave both companies and investors a clearer picture of where the Canadian foodtech market stands. And then there's Foodtech Frontier , CFIN's annual program identifying the country's highest-potential foodtech companies. The inaugural cohort of 35 winners included eight BC companies. For investors, it works as curated, vetted deal flow in a sector where sourcing is otherwise hard. For the companies, it's structured national visibility. Plug into Canada’s foodtech ecosystem If you work in technology or investment and you've been curious about the food sector, then signing up for a free CFIN membership is the best place to start. Members get access to funding programs, sector intelligence, a national innovation community, and regional team members that know the BC landscape specifically.
Community Manager-
Other Articles
The Tablesetter – December 5, 2022
Happy Monday CFIN members! Here’s your weekly heads up on what’s happening on YODL and around the food world this week. The YODL Menu Monday: The Tablesetter – December 5, 2022 Tuesday: The Top Videos of 2022 Revisited Wednesday: Member profile – Cascadia Seaweed Thursday: Roundtable – Views on Plant-Based Products Friday: News File Something to Celebrate December 6, 2022 is National Microwave Oven Day! Based on radar technology developed during World War II, the microwave oven was invented in 1945 by Percy Spencer of Raytheon, who realized foods could be heated with microwaves through use of a magnetron. The first Raytheon Radarange microwave was released in 1947 was a six-ft. tall unit with a $5,000 price tag. While early machines were intended for restaurant and airline use, the first residential microwaves appeared on the market in 1955. But it wasn’t until the late 1990s that most Canadian homes had a microwave oven. Food Facts According to Nourish Food Marketing’s 2023 Trend Report: The Future is Transformative , younger consumers are prioritizing health and personalization more than other generations. Here’s a few examples: 52% of millennials say they are or plan to prioritize better health in the near future, compared to 47% of all consumers. 48% of millennials are prioritizing better nutrition, compared to 40% of all consumers. 31% of millennials strongly agree that they prefer personalized products, services and apps, compared to 25% of Gen Zs, 16% of Gen Xs, 10% of boomers, and 20% of all consumers. Happy YODLing!
Community Manager-
News File – December 2, 2022
Each Friday we’ll bring you a roundup of news from CFIN, YODL and around the food world. As seen on YODL Check out this week’s most viewed discussions: L' eau en canette : le marché du futur pour les microbrasseries? | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) Les 25 plus grandes entreprises de transformation alimentaire au Québec | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) The Worlds Largest Food Companies Are Struggling with Carbon Targets | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) Around the Food World New guidelines for food and beverage manufacturers from Food Allergy Canada . Natasha Dhayagude , CEO and co-founder of Chinova Bioworks, and a member of CFIN’s Board of Directors receives the Innovation Award at the 2022 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards. A new review by researchers at Stockholm University looks at the sustainability of plant-based alternatives compared to meat and dairy. Did you Know? Nourish Food Marketing’s 2023 Trend Report: The Future is Transformative lists nine trends transforming the agricultural and food and beverage industries. They are: 1. The rise of reducatarianism – trading “either/or” for “everything, but less” 2. Good eats, better sleeps – The role of food as a sleep aid to promote overall well-being 3. This one’s for the ladies – Female food is a missed opportunity we can no longer overlook 4. Food without borders – Social media unites us globally so we can shop and cook together 5. Robots, AI, and connected kitchens – The future of food automation finally arrives 6. Breaking the chains – Localized production offers an alternative to shaky global supply chains 7. Closing the loop – Self-contained food systems are the future 8. From science fiction to science farming – Ag innovation sees exponential growth to meet environmental and market needs 9. Solidarity for sustainability – The future of eco-conscious agriculture is co-operative
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Company Spotlight – Radish Cooperative
This is one of a series of profiles of CFIN members that have successfully applied for and received funding through CFIN’s Innovation Booster program . Montreal, QC-based Radish Cooperative develops software to help restaurants meet their technical needs and make delivery more efficient. The company offers delivery service in Montreal, as well as products such as inventory management software to help restaurants reduce food waste and save money, and an eco-optimal dispatching and routing engine that helps reduce delivery fleet emissions. The company received $98,549 in funding to establish a lightweight digital twin platform for restaurant inventory management. We sat down with Radish’s executive director Mansib Rahman to talk about the company. Q: What is your company’s mission? A: Radish’s mission is to mutualize the technical needs of the restaurant industry. It is difficult for restaurants, workers, and consumers to effect change individually. A restaurant can’t afford their own data scientist, for example, and workers struggle to improve their working conditions without the collaboration of their peers. However, by pooling the resources, challenges, and innovations of the sector, the costs can be spread amongst the industry as a whole and the benefits can be reaped by everybody. Q: Why did you apply for this funding and how will you use it? A: The status quo for inventory management in small-and-medium restaurants is somewhere between paper and labels…and doing no tracking whatsoever. This is a major contributor to unprofitable unit costs. Ingredient prices can shift in the period of a week or two and catch an operator off-guard. Coming out of the pandemic and possibly into a recession, it’s clear that finding a way for restaurant operators to stay on top of their inventory will be paramount. The challenge with proper inventory tracking is that there are only so many hours in a day, and with a shrinking labour pool, owner-operators are finding it impossible to dedicate time to manage every single facet of their business. The current crop of SaaS-based inventory management software falls short of providing a true solution. Without detailed inputs, the systems simply don’t work. Our solution will be flexible and only require estimations, leveraging networked scales and sensors to track available stock and tie into aggregated sales data from our delivery network to give a more accurate view of inventory consumption trends and enhanced purchasing recommendations. Q: What excites you most about working in this area of the food industry? A: The small-and-medium restaurant is the last frontier for technology adoption in the agri-food sector. Most people who go into the field do so out of passion or out of necessity. Rarely do they possess strong technical backgrounds. From experience, having owned and operated several restaurant businesses myself, most small restaurateur owners use little to no digital technology, save for delivery tablets and a basic POS. For those who do, there are simply too many disconnected software systems in an establishment, to the point of encumbering business operations more than helping. I’m excited to be part of the generation of restaurateurs that is going to bring this shift in ideology, making operations leaner through technology, and all the while making the industry more equitable and greener in the process. Q: Please comment on the importance of public funding to help companies clear innovation hurdles and access leveraged funds. A: While venture capital and commercial lending are an important part of the startup funding landscape in Canada, they are not sufficient to help bridge the gap between R&D and commercialization. Other ecosystems have a significant lead on us – they are better capitalized and are also more risk tolerant. Public funding is absolutely critical for the vast wealth of Canadian R&D and intellectual property to be successfully commercialized on the world stage by Canadians instead of being expropriated by foreign acquirers. Q: Looking ahead, what’s on the horizon for your company? A: The sky’s the limit. The beauty of a cooperative is that our primary mission is to serve the needs of our members, rather than purely seeking profit. There are many other areas of the restaurant business that can benefit from technical innovations. Whatever they are, we’ll collaborate with the industry to deliver new software and services to the best interest of our members. We’ve also had several discussions with communities across the country that are interested in expanding the cooperative to their region. No decisions have been confirmed, but we’re carefully evaluating each opportunity. Q: What are your passions or hobbies outside of work? A: Perhaps unsurprisingly for someone having grown up in a restaurant, cooking and baking are big ones. I also enjoy running, especially during the winter (with the Yaktrax on ice, feels grippier than pavement even!). Q: If you had to pick one person to make you a meal, who would you choose? A) Guy Fieri B) Martha Stewart C) Gordon Ramsey D) Dana McCauley E) Your Mom F) Other (if it’s other, tell us who it is!) A: I would have liked to have chosen my mom, but she’s already done enough for me (I should probably make her something). Instead I’ll go with Jacques Pépin. Very few people have done so much to make cooking so accessible for everybody and done so with so much humility and elegance. It would truly be an honour to enjoy even the simplest meal from someone who has practically been a mentor. It doesn’t hurt that he was good enough to be Charles de Gaulle’s personal chef (and turn down JFK!). Ready to access funding for your innovative initiative? Click here to find out more about CFIN’s funding programs.
Community Manager-
Revisiting YODLs Top Explainer Articles
YODL regularly posts Explainer articles designed to help CFIN members better understand complex issues affecting the food and beverage industry in Canada. We've written about automation, robotics, packaging solutions, plastic waste and more. In case you've missed them, here are links to some of the most popular Explainers of 2022. 5G and the Food Industry Artificial Intelligence Blockchain Technology The Canada Plastics Pact Canada's Plastic Problem Compostable and Biodegradable Plastic Machine Learning Packaging and Extended Producer Responsibility QR Codes Is there something you'd like us to write about? Contact @JamilKarim to let us know!
Community Manager-
What YODLers are saying – November 2022
YODL was the place to be in November, and YODLers were posting up a snowstorm! In case you missed them, here are the top five discussions taking place in the past month. Number 5 Is honey plant based? | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) YODLers continue to weigh in with their views on how honey should be classified. Number 4 Food safety innovation | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) Food safety is always top of mind with CFIN members. Number 3 Access $12K in non-equity funding for your food sustainability startup! | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) The Brampton Venture Zone is offering funding for sustainable start-up companies. Number 2 Are we ready for ROBOTS? | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) Adding robotics and automation can be a complex issue. Find out if YODLers are really ready for robots! Number 1 Should plant-based products be sold alongside meat? | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) The location of plant-based products in grocery stores is one of the most hotly debated discussions on YODL right now. What’s your opinion? What’s been your favourite article or discussion post on YODL so far? And if you haven’t joined the discussion yet, why not? Happy YODLing!
Community Manager-
The Tablesetter – November 28, 2022
Happy Monday CFIN members! Here’s your weekly heads up on what’s happening on YODL and around the food world this week. The YODL Menu Monday: The Tablesetter – November 28, 2022 Tuesday: Top YODL discussions from the past month Wednesday: Explainers revisited Thursday: Member profile – Radish Cooperative Friday: News File Something to Celebrate November 28 is National French Toast Day! French toast makes a cheap and delicious meal at any time of the day, and can be customized with an endless number of toppings. Best of all, making French toast helps divert stale bread from becoming food waste. The recipe isn’t French, however, and instead dates as far back as the 5 th century BCE. Since then, unique versions of the egg and milk-based treat have continued to appear around the world. Food Facts Egg production in Canada has been rising steadily since 2004, sitting at 848.2 million dozen eggs produced in 2021 for a value of $1.8 billion. Per capita egg consumption in Canada hit a high of 15.5 kg in 2019, and has increased by a whopping 30% over the past 10 years. According to a poll on rvtravel.com , the top three most popular ways to eat eggs are: fried, scrambled, and in an omelette. Happy YODLing!
Community Manager-
News File – November 25, 2022
Each Friday we’ll bring you a roundup of news from CFIN, YODL and around the food world. As seen on YODL Check out this week’s most viewed discussions: Dynamic pricing for gourmet products | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) Food truck's little sibling | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) Precision Fermentation Capacity Increases in Canada with Cultivated B Launch | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) Around the Food World Researchers at the University of Johannesburg reveal that passion fruit peel has the potential to preserve fruit and help eliminate food waste. Upside Foods has received a “No Questions” letter from the US FDA for cultivated meat, poultry or seafood. A report from Vineland Research and Innovation Centre offers potential solutions to food waste in the greenhouse sector through new practices and value-added by-products. Did you Know? The quick-service food sector took a hit like all sectors of the food world during the pandemic, but things are already starting to improve. According to Statistics Canada’s latest figures , there were 39,470 limited-service food business locations in Canada in June 2022, up from 38,823 in June 2020. The sector also recorded more than $3.1 billion in sales on a seasonally adjusted basis in August 2022, 10.4% higher than in August 2021. The limited-service sector has outperformed the general foodservice and accommodation sector, which in July 2022 had 62,361 business locations, compared to 62,865 locations in February 2020.
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CFIN Member Spotlight – Suppli
This is one of a series of profiles of CFIN members that have successfully applied for and received funding through CFIN’s Innovation Booster program . Toronto, ON-based Suppli is making it easy for food vendors to swap in high-quality reusable food containers for their single-use containers in a way that drives additional revenue for those food vendors. Suppli leverages technology to offer its reusable takeout container service across online food channels, currently in takeout and corporate catering, but with applicability across groceries, meal kits, and beyond. Suppli’s unique end-to-end solution allows consumers to order through order.mysuppli.ca, and for restaurants to receive and process the order in the same way they’re used to with other ordering platforms. Once used containers are returned to any of Suppli’s drop-off bins (located in restaurants, in mission-aligned grocers and coffee shops, and outdoor on private properties for 24/7 access), Suppli runs a daily route to restock restaurants with clean containers and pick up used containers to be centrally cleaned through a commercial dishwashing facility. Supply received $100,000 in funding to build circularity into food packaging through an innovative technology platform. CFIN sat down with Suppli founder and CEO Megan Takeda-Tully to talk about the company. Q: What is your company’s mission? A: Suppli’s mission is to create the tech-powered backbone for reusable packaging solutions that facilitates the transition to a circular economy worldwide. Q: Why did you apply for this funding and how will you use it? A: Suppli will be building out the technology needed to streamline management of circular (reusable) food packaging so that our platform is scalable to other geographies, and across other packaging verticals. In order to effectively operate a reusable packaging program at scale – and with little behaviour change required by consumers and vendors – technology is needed to deliver real-time data across the user journey. This means information is passed from an ordering site to a paired inventory management system that uses this information to: account for a consumer’s container balance; account for a vendor’s container balance; and power supply chain logistics to ensure vendors are re-stocked and used containers are collected when certain thresholds are met. During the project period, Suppli will be building out the inventory management system, and integrating two pre-built food ordering sites. Q: What excites you most about working in this area of the food industry? A: We can make a real change in the footprint of the industry by leveraging business model innovation and building in the partnerships to grow out a solution that’s truly scalable. We’re empowering businesses and consumers to make individual changes that align with their values, and that contribute to a substantial, tangible impact. That’s very exciting for us! Q: Please comment on the importance of public funding to help companies clear innovation hurdles and access leveraged funds. A: Suppli is building out a completely new way of implementing a circular packaging solution, one that ditches the old deposit model and splits costs between the customer and food vendor. Developing a new market and building the technology to support our solution is one that takes time for private sector funders to get up to speed on and, most importantly, get comfortable funding. Public funding allows Suppli to de-risk our solution for private investors and demonstrate the scalability of Suppli’s offering for future support through private investment. Q: Looking ahead, what’s on the horizon for your company? A: We’re excited to be expanding across Toronto over the next year, growing our team on the sales, customer success and technical sides, and to get our platform (both technical and operational) in great shape with our partners to be able to expand into other Canadian cities! Q: What are your passions or hobbies outside of work? A: Building a start-up doesn’t afford a ton of extra time, so I try to spend most of it with my family (I have two young kids), and friends that make me smile. I’m also a big foodie and sports fan, so love anything I can do in those two realms as well. Q: If you had to pick one person to make you a meal, who would you choose? A) Guy Fieri B) Martha Stewart C) Gordon Ramsey D) Dana McCauley E) Your Mom F) Other (if it’s other, tell us who it is!) A: My grandmother – she was an incredible cook! Ready to access funding for your innovative initiative? Click here to find out more about CFIN’s funding programs.
Community Manager-
Cybersecurity in the food sector – Top 3 Takeaways
@Nestor Gomez , chief technology officer for CFIN, recently hosted a member-exclusive virtual event covering cybersecurity in the food and beverage industry, and featuring Rozita Dara, principal investigator of data management and privacy governance research program at the University of Guelph, and David Shipley, CEO and co-founder of Beauceron Security. The discussion covered why cybersecurity should be a priority for the industry, and how companies can protect their data. Here are the top three takeaways from the event: Cyber threats are real risks As recent events with Maple Leaf Foods and Empire Co. have shown, online attacks such as phishing and ransomware can have a significant impact on a company’s supply chain, operations, products, artificial intelligence (AI) and distribution system. The attacks can happen anywhere in the food supply chain, from farms to consumers, and can even impact the region. Unfortunately, many food and beverage companies have not invested in solutions to protect themselves from cyberattacks. Have a cybersecurity plan Analyze where your company has vulnerabilities, and then implement a plan for protecting your data. Follow critical control checks, and cybersecurity best practices such as multifactor authentication for employee sign-in to any connected system. Conduct a tabletop exercise with management so everyone understands what to do when facing a cybersecurity threat. Get staff involvement Properly training employees, including management, on cybersecurity risks and solutions is crucial. Staff need to comprehend the threats and how to report and/or handle them, and management needs to ensure all staff buys into the plan. Follow up with quizzes and continual training. Want to view the entire webinar? Click here ! Watch for part 2 of CFIN’s series on cybersecurity, appearing on YODL on December 14, 2022.
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Robotics in Action Revisited
On May 12, 2022 CFIN presented its second members-only event, Robotics in Action: Seeing is Believing . The virtual event was sponsored by Farm Credit Canada and hosted by @Jim Beretta , president of Customer Attraction, a marketing consultancy which focuses on robotics, automation and applications. Beretta spoke with several Canadian entrepreneurs whose companies are leading technological change in the food industry, and demonstrated cutting-edge automation solutions at Western University, Mycionics , Ghost Kitchen Brands and 168 Sushi , and robotic systems from SJW Robotics , Anubis 3D , Gastronomous Technologies , JMP Solutions , Armo Tool and Tiny Mile Robotics . Here are the top five takeaways from the session: 1. Automation and robots don’t reduce jobs Robots and automatic systems are designed to do the tasks that are dangerous, dirty or repetitive and are a solution to current labour shortages in the industry. While robots perform tasks such as picking and packing, employees are freed up to complete more value-added and skilled duties. Collaborative robotic systems are designed with added safeguards so that they work side-by-side with their human counterparts. 2. Automation is becoming more efficient and less costly In the last decade, costs of implementing automatic systems or robotics have fallen, while performance and consistency have increased dramatically. There are also many new advancements in gripping technology, resolving older robotic challenges such as distinguishing between different sized and shaped products or boxes. Automation systems and robotics are now easier to integrate into food operations, and are often designed so that companies can add one piece of technology at a time to ensure success and worker comfort. Working together with technology companies, food businesses can integrate plug-and-play components or create unique, custom-designed system featuring different technology modified to fit their needs. 4. Automation can lead to lower energy and input costs, while boosting food safety and capacity Technology that provides food producers with real-time data analytics enables them to optimize the use of energy and raw materials, reduce food and energy waste, and achieve higher production capacities. Data analytics can also be used to predict preventative maintenance in the system and prevent drops in throughput. Many companies rely on robotics that target sanitary compliance to safely and reliably assemble foods such as protein and uncooked ready-to-eat meals for retail or healthcare, where safe food handling is crucial. 5. Automated foodservice offerings go far beyond vending Quick-service kiosks that offer a wide range of hot and cold food choices like salad, pizza and cooked noodles are appearing on campuses, in malls and in other public spaces. Far beyond vending machines, the kiosks offer made-to-order meals prepared while you watch in just minutes, with a variety of customizations and payment options available. With a low carbon footprint and minimal labour needs, the kiosks have the potential of replacing QSR units in some locations. Robotics in Action – Seeing is Believing generated lots of questions from CFIN Members who were eager to learn more about the innovative companies that were featured during the event. So, to help answer these questions, we thought we’d tap into the founders and executives at the companies to get the answers to your most pressing questions. Stefan Glibetic, lead engineer and CTO, Mycionics Inc. Q: Are there any processing effects of robots and scanning on mushrooms? A: Since the mushrooms are very fragile, one of the biggest challenges in the mushroom harvesting industry is picking mushrooms without damage. Our system was designed from the ground up with this in mind, hence why we developed custom soft gripping technology instead of using commonly seen end-effectors on the market. Our system is able to pick and process mushrooms with damage rates equal to skilled human harvesters. Additionally, our scanning technology is very low-powered, safe, and doesn’t affect the mushrooms. Q: How can this technology be commercialized in other fruit and vegetable picking environments? A: Our systems are highly modular, and structured in a way that can be easily applied to other crops and industries, especially those with tight space restrictions. Right now, we are focusing our efforts on mushrooms, but the same technology and principles can be applied to new applications in the future. Q: Are the mushroom robotics currently using AI? A: Yes, our machine vision system applies a combination of algorithms, including AI, to process the vision data in order to determine mushroom properties, and how to pick those mushrooms effectively and without damage. We also capture environmental microclimate data, such us temperature, humidity and CO 2 , which helps the farmer visualize their growing environment and grow higher-quality mushrooms. Q: With an increase in consistent delivery of mushrooms, will we see more umami products on shelves? A: Although it's no a current goal of ours, we do hope that through the use of our technology, the mushroom quality will increase over time as farmers will be able to focus more of their efforts on growing, rather than on harvesting logistics. Kristian Tazbazian, co-founder and COO Gastronomous Technologies Q: Which parts of Gastronomous robots use AI ? A: The AI side of food automation lies in software and the way that data is analyzed in order to improve both operational as well as user efficiency. Nipun Sharma, CEO, SJW Robotics Q: How do you monitor inventory levels/replenishments? A: The system has full traceability and product data recorded at the point of refill via bar scan. Along with temperature controls, volume/weight dispensing sensors and recipe metrics, we can accurately measure inventory levels and shelf-life to allow us to trigger timely refills. Q: How is nutritional quality maintained in these systems? A: The nutritional quality will be determined by selection of input ingredients, and our temperature controls will measure shelf-life pertaining to that ingredient. Q: How do you keep the machine clean? A: The machine has scheduled self-cleaning mechanism utilizing high pressure hot water and steam, and our equipment certification conforms to the highest food safety standards. Q: How adaptable is this technology? Can you switch out the wok for a cold application? A: Yes. The wok is the replacement module, and can be switched by a grill, deep fryer or conveyor oven for all hot food alternatives. While the hot area can be bypassed for all cold bowls such as salads and yogurt. The current version can do any variation of starches that include noodles, pasta and rice. Tharwat Fouad, founder and president, Anubis 3D Q: Can Anubis print EOAT for direct contact with food that is FDA approved? A: Yes, the Nylon 12 (PA2200) we use to build most of our EOAT is FDA approved for food contact. When we build tools for food contact, we do not stain them with any colour, we keep them at their original white colour. We also add a finishing process called vapour finish that closes the porosities and makes the tool easy to clean.
Community Manager-
The Tablesetter – November 21, 2022
Happy Monday CFIN members! Here’s your weekly heads up on what’s happening on YODL and around the food world this week. The YODL Menu Monday: The Tablesetter – November 21 Tuesday: Robotics in Action Revisited – Top 5 takeaways and Q&A Wednesday: Cybersecurity Webinar - Top 3 takeaways Thursday: Member profile – Suppli Friday: News File Something to Celebrate November 21 is National Gingerbread Cookie Day! Gingerbread is a holiday season favourite, whether in cookie, figure or house form. Made with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, one reason we eat gingerbread during the winter is because of the idea that spices warm us up. Food Facts According to Technomic, menus are making a comeback, and say that menus have officially recovered from the drop in menu incidence experienced during the pandemic. Item counts have risen 0.9% in the past year, and 2.2% over the past three years. The fastest-growing ingredients and dishes are non-meat and premium proteins, including plant-based fish (37.5%), and imitation meat sandwiches (16%), as well as grains like couscous (25%) and quinoa (22.1%), and premium options such as Kobe beef (16.1%) and caviar (14.1%). Fastest declining dishes include retail items such as fruits and vegetables (-48.1%), packaged coffee (-33.3%), take-and-bake items (-46.7%) and meal kits (-35.5%). Here are Technomic’s the top menu items by per cent change over the past year: Appetizers 1.2% Add-ons 1.1% Sides 1% Entrées 0.9% Desserts 0.3% Non-alcoholic beverages 0.2% Kids menus -0.9% Senior menus -12.3% Happy YODLing!
Community Manager-
News File – November 18, 2022
Each Friday we’ll bring you a roundup of news from CFIN, YODL and around the food world. As seen on YODL Check out this week’s most viewed discussions: Should plant-based products be sold alongside meat? | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) Are we ready for ROBOTS? | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) Reusable Packaging and Foodservice Containers Examples | Open Forum (cfin-rcia.ca) Around the Food World A Spanish company has developed Naturpod , a solution that absorbs ethylene to keep fruit and vegetables fresh longer. Vertical farming company Infarm has successfully grown wheat indoors without soil or chemical pesticides, and using much less water than open field farming. Starbucks unveils its holiday beverage menu, including a new hot drink available only in Canada. Did you Know? ADM’s new report, Global Consumer Trends Driving Market Growth , reveals what consumers are prioritizing in their lifestyle and consumption choices. The company identifies eight market growth drivers of consumer trends: Balanced wellness – Consumers are increasingly connecting eating well with mental and physical wellbeing, and are becoming more accepting of functional and sustainably sourced ingredients. Proactive personalization – Consumers will prioritize individual differences and “better for me” solutions, as well as eating approaches that align with their personal lifestyle. This will lead to tech-enabled recommendations for specific health needs, and personalized nutrition tracking and solutions. Experiential eating – People are looking for new experiences in flavours, textures, colours, spices and botanicals, while looking for comfort and pleasure through nostalgic or indulgent foods but with a healthier twist. Expanded protein choices – More consumers are taking a flexitarian approach to eating that allows them to choose food options that align with their values and nutrition needs. That means they’re looking for choice in plant-based foods, responsibly fed animal-based products, and affordable alternative proteins. Trust & traceability – Consumers are increasingly looking for a connection to their food and the producer community, and continue to expect transparency around production, food safety, and supply chain. Technology such as blockchain and QR codes, and increased digitization will help in this area. Earth-friendly production – Consumers are demanding innovative technology and technology-driven solutions from companies related to environmental issues like climate change, pollution, food waste, and plastic and packaging waste. Social impact – Consumers also expect businesses to take social responsibility seriously, throughout their supply chain and including accessibility of the product for the end user. They expect companies to support positive change for workers, farmers, and communities. 8. Modern pet parenting – Pets are part of the family for consumers today, leading to demand for lifestyle products for their pets that match their own, as well as the idea that mental and emotional health is connected to exercise and food.
