Grant: Applied Research Tools and Instruments Grants

Food and Beverage (F&B)processing in Canada is a significant industry, valued at $117.8 billionin 2019, making it the second largest manufacturing sector and employer in the country. In Ontario, it contributed $40.1 billion in manufacturing sales. Research and Development (R&D) plays a crucial role in fostering growth within the F&B industry, with the federal government and private corporations investing $6.6 million to support R&D efforst aimed at enhancing product quality, competitiveness, and productivity. The F&B sector is undergoing transformation driven by consumer-focused practices and sustainability, prompting the need for innovation. Changes in consumer preferences and eating habits have led to increased competition, pushing companies to adapt their processes to meet new trends and safety standards while offering diverse products at lower costs. This has resulted in the highest level of investment in innovation the inustry has ever experienced. In 2012, Lambton College (LC) launched a range of initiatives to respond to the substantial growth of the bioindustrial and cleantech sectors inthe Sarnia-Lambton region, meeting the R&D needs of these companies with essential expertise and specialized infrastructure to become a preferred partner for F&B companies. LC has conducted over 60 collaborative projects with Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the FB sector, filling a research gap, while also providing high quality training to staff, students, and industry partners. While LC conducts valuable collaborative F&B research, addressing various industrial needs in the sector, its existing equipment is limited in scope, particularly in its ability to perform precise analysis and testing required for industry partners to remain competitive. The new suite of equipment including Bomb Calorimeter, Moisture Analyzer, Autosampler for Alcolyzer, Refractometer, Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC), and food analysis tools, will address the gap in existing infrastructure and provide LC the capabilities to support efficient product development, quality control, and regulatory compliance, enhancing the precision and reliability of F&B research. The expansion of F&B research capabilities aligns with the College's mission to foster student success through hands-on learning and industry connections while addressing food sustainability and innovation with new equipment that enhances efficiency, product quality, and environmental responsibility.