Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Progressive Foods Inc. (Progressive) and NAIT will work to develop new retail SKUs using Progressive'sproprietary Quick Cook Barley. Barley grain provides low fat, complex carbohydrates, well-balanced protein,vitamins (especially vitamin E and other antioxidants), and insoluble and soluble fibre. The endosperm cellwalls are rich in beta-glucans that positively affect serum cholesterol and glucose levels that can in turn impactcardio-vascular health and diabetes control, respectively. In 2012, Health Canada concluded that evidenceexists in support of the claim linking barley grain products to a reduction of blood cholesterol. Today, there isrenewed interest and great potential to utilise barley in a large number of cereal-based food products. Forexample, barley can substitute for other cereal grains in breads, ready-to-eat and hot cereals, granola andmuesli-type products, as well as snack foods, baby foods, meat products, pasta, and soups.This project isfocused on developing and optimizing a range of new product concepts that have the potential to bemanufactured by Progressive. For the company, this project represents an important opportunity to expand itsproduct line.