Grant: Engage Grants Program

Greenhouse Delight Foods Inc. is a hydroponic bell pepper grower and packer based in Abbotsford B.C. Theirproducts are sold throughout North America under both the Greenhouse Delight Foods Inc. label and privatelabel names. With 36 acres of greenhouse space on 100 acres of farmland, they produce approximately1,000,000 cases of product per year.As a commitment to fill the growing international market for high quality natural health products, GreenhouseDelight Foods has recently expanded their production to include some novelty greenhouse crops. A keyelement to making an economically viable food product is using harvesting and processing techniques thatretain the phytochemical integrity responsible for the product characteristic flavor and health benefits.This proposal focuses on the processing and initial phytochemical analysis of various parts of the novelty cropbeing evaluated. While some scientific reports have indicated that there are numerous potential uses andapplications for this crop (including food additives, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, industrial and agriculturalproducts), these studies have not yet led to the development of viable commercial products in Canada. Due tothe lack of published information on processing methods, the company will have to develop its own methods inorder to create value-added products and is seeking collaboration with the BC Institute of Technology's NaturalHealth and Food Products Research Group (NRG) for the research and development of novel natural healthproducts. Results will be used to identify optimal manufacturing protocols and allow Greenhouse DelightFoods to market novel food and nutraceutical products that will help diversify B.C.'s agricultural sector.