She also praises Grain Farmers of Ontario for its support. Building this venture required investing in work with Dr. Saeed M. Ghazani at the University of Guelph’s food science lab to determine colour, particle size, protein, and blending types needed to meet the traits and specifications of Atta flour. They also had to purchase an additional large stone mill to ensure the quality standards and traceability consumers want, which requires investment. “Being able to produce something like this is very important to us, and our farmers are very happy to be growing something they can see the outcome for,” says McKeown. “Our farmers take pride in knowing they can see where their grains are selling online and that they’re making a positive impact.” NEW PROTEIN INTERNATIONAL It’s a point of pride that Canadian farmers grow some of the highest-quality crops and ingredients in the world, and identity-preserved, non-GMO food-grade soybeans are one of those distinct hallmarks. It’s never been a question of “if” Canadian farmers are capable, but rather “how” they are processed here. This is the issue surrounding soy protein isolate, an ingredient used in a wide range of food products, from beverages to baked goods, dairy alternatives, and protein bars. The issue that confounds its production involves exports and imports: growers in Ontario and other provinces produce the soybeans, but they are shipped abroad for processing in other countries, then purchased and imported by Canadian food manufacturers. The loss of jobs, added value, and control of “homegrown” business was the incentive behind New Protein International’s (NPI) bid to build a fully scaled processing plant in Sarnia. The venture would eliminate exports of food-grade, non-GMO soybeans for processing, adding value and keeping jobs in Ontario and other parts of the country. ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER COVER STORY 8 What also sets it apart is the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) extraction technology, replacing hexane, which is facing increased scrutiny from the European Union and other regulators around the world. Awards from the Grains Innovation Fund have helped with the installation of additional processing equipment, generation of proprietary data, feedback from end-users, and risk reduction. It has been a lengthy process, starting with the demonstration plant in Benmiller and meetings with investors to push forward with a fully scaled facility. The latest news is that construction is expected to begin late in 2027, with commercial operations targeted for 2030. Once in full operation, the plant will use 70,000 tonnes of Ontario soybeans annually, processing more than 17,000 tonnes of soy protein isolate. “The Grains Innovation Fund project is extremely important because it helps bridge the gap between successful pilotscale production and commercial-scale deployment,” says Graham Markham, NPI’s Chief Development Officer. “Every successful production campaign at our demonstration facility increases confidence among customers, investors, lenders, governments, and industry partners.” Although the immediate goal is to get the protein isolate plant up and running, longer term, it is expected to create demand for proteins, oils, fibres, and other components from several plant-based crops. “One of the attractive aspects of building advanced ingredient-processing capacity is that it creates a foundation for future innovation and diversification,” says Markham. “We can produce products that the world wants and get feedback on the process and the product itself.” And yet the funding aspect was both an opportunity to be explored and an impediment to moving forward. But Markham credits federal officials with realizing that New Protein International has a pilot-scale plant to refine its hexane-free process. The company expects to start building a full-scale soybean processing plant in 2027. Photo: New Protein International continued from page 7
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