Fermentation is an art and a science, says Andrew MacIntosh, Assistant Professor of Process Engineering and Applied Science at Dalhousie University. MacIntosh helped form Dalhousie’s new fermented products institute at the Canadian Institute of Fish and Fermentation Technology (CIFT). In a process almost as old as human history itself, malted barley is ground up into small chunks, mixed with water …

Sensus’s star ingredient provides a solution to many consumer health concerns Text by Hermione Wilson Growing consumer concerns about artificial ingredients and additives have led to unprecedented action on the part of major food processors. There was a cascade of announcements early this year from one food manufacturer and restaurant chain after another as they moved to voluntarily remove artificial …

Text by William Ickes Due to its critical role in diet and health, measuring the protein content of food is more important than ever. Food production companies need to monitor protein content at multiple points along the food process chain. The three most common techniques used to measure protein content are Kjeldahl, Dumas (combustion), and NIR (near-infrared spectroscopy). While all …

3 trends impacting North America Text by Lynn Dornblaser The global ice cream market managed to muster a 3% increase in 2014. Global volume sales of ice cream climbed slightly faster (4%), reflecting the category’s expansion in emerging markets. China has replaced the U.S. as the world’s largest ice cream market, accounting for a third of all ice cream products …

Text by Bethany Wall Beverages underwent an overhaul this year bringing fresh flavour combinations and unique drink fusions in hopes to satisfy the 82% of U.S. consumers who are willing to try new flavours and the 97% of Canadians who spend portions of their leisure time out at restaurants. Here’s a look at the major themes in non-alcoholic beverages: Consumers …

Image courtesy of CBC Arlene Dickinson talks marketing, money and making it Text by Theresa Rogers It’s early on May 6 and I’m speaking to Arlene Dickinson on the phone from Calgary. Rachel Notley has just won the Alberta provincial election, becoming the province’s 17th premier and forming the first NDP-led government in the history of the province. Everyone knows …

Natural soft drinks in cool flavour combos appeal to modern foodies Text by Lekha Kanagasabai Familiar with the ins and outs of the beverage business, John McEachern has proven that he is a force to be reckoned with. “Part of the reason why beverages are interesting is because all of my experience is from that industry,” he says. A veteran …

Text by By Prof. H. Douglas Goff The University of Guelph celebrated a significant milestone in 2014, the 100th anniversary of the Ice Cream Short Course. This article provides a synopsis of the industry-based symposium, focused on recent advances in ice cream ingredients, processing and marketing, that was held following the course to mark this important milestone in Canadian ice …

Gebremedhin Gebreegziabher1,2 | Lisa Clark1,3 | Jill Hobbs1,3 | Hugo Melgar-Quiñonez4 Rickey Yada5 | Michael Nickerson1,2 According to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), ‘Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life’1. …

Cameron Prince Recall! This is a word that can bring significant fear and concern for any food business. In particular, small companies who may not have the experience or systems to deal with recalls may find themselves in difficult circumstances in the event of a food safety issue and associated recall. Fortunately, significant food safety recalls are relatively rare. However, …