News
Canadian researcher sees two distinct food trends
Derek Vella, manager of the Guelph Food Innovation Centre
A Canadian food scientist says there are two distinct food trends taking place in Canada right now—one of them very recent.
Derek Vella is the manager of the Food Innovation Centre at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, the country’s largest agricultural university. Vella tells Brownfield they’ve seen a big increase in companies wanting to develop new vegan and vegetarian food products.
“The majority of the projects we’re being approached with now—I would say up to 70 percent of them—involve either non-meat or non-dairy type products,” Vella says.
The other trend is related to Canada’s recent legalization of cannabis, or marijuana.
“There’s been a bit of a gold rush,” Vella says. “Everyone wants to get their hands into items that have cannabis in it—literally every food substrate you can imagine.”
The University of Guelph crop science department will also establish a cannabis production research program to assist farmers who want to grow the crop.
We spoke with Vella during last week’s Canada Ag Technology Media Tour.
Add Comment