Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Saskatchewan-based Oatdeal is a manufacturer and marketer of oat-based beverages and beverage additives, currently selling its products across North America. The company is looking to develop innovative new products in order to expand its business. One area they are interested in is the possibility of developing a vegan oat-based soft serve dessert and mix. There are a limited number of vegan soft serve formulations and mixes that are commercially available, and none of these formulations utilize oats. The majority of vegan formulations are based on soy, coconut, rice, and other nut milks, which are necessary for adding fats, emulsions, and creaminess to the product. Our objective is to develop a vegan soft serve formulation/mix that contains oats and pulses, and that can be made mixing the formulation with water, coconut or other plant based milks. The challenge of this project will be developing a formulation that replicates all of the sensory/indulgence properties of dairy based soft serves. The opportunity to work collaboratively with NAIT and its academic partners will enable Oatdeal to access a unique combination of culinary and food science expertise.