Winnipeg, MB, Sept. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Protein Industries Canada announced five projects focused on expanding the availability or use of Canadian-grown and -processed ingredients. Part of the Strengthening the Canadian Supply Chain program, the projects will provide Canadian families with a wider selection of locally made food options, while also ensuring a more secure domestic food supply.

“The resilience and success of our agrifood supply chain are vital to Canada’s economy,” said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. “By harnessing the potential of Canadian crops and ingredients through innovation, Protein Industries Canada is helping to overcome trade-related challenges while ensuring access to high-quality, locally sourced food and creating lasting economic opportunities from coast to coast.”

“Our farmers and producers work tirelessly to produce reliable, high-quality food. By including more homegrown ingredients in the products Canadians buy every day, these projects will support our farmers, strengthen our economy, and help keep our food system strong and secure in the face of global uncertainty,” said the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

“Protein Industries Canada has been an invaluable partner pushing innovation and competitiveness in Canadian plant-based protein and today’s announcement promises to unlock even more of our agrifood’s sector’s immense growth potential. By helping companies use local crops, we cut shipping costs, keep supply chains close to home, and create good jobs in rural communities,” said the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development.

Launched in response to concerns around trade-related tension, the Strengthening the Canadian Supply Chain program will help Canadian agrifood companies use more Canadian products, lessening reliance on imports. This means a more resilient domestic supply chain, with more food products made with Canadian ingredients, for Canadians.

“By supporting Canadian companies in finding innovative solutions to tariffs and other trade challenges, our Strengthening the Canadian Supply Chain program is helping keep Canada competitive in the global food market,” Protein Industries Canada Board Chair Tyler Groenveld said. “The development of these new, Canadian-sourced and -processed ingredients and food products is more than an opportunity to utilize more Canadian crops here at home. It’s an opportunity for Canada to come closer to seizing its $25 billion agrifood potential, strengthening our economy, creating new jobs and securing our domestic food supply chain.”

The five projects announced today span Canada’s agrifood sector, representing companies from Ontario and British Columbia, and the ingredient manufacturing and food processing industries. The new ingredients, foods and beverage commercialized as a result will boost the use of Canadian protein crops, supporting farmers while offering families across the country a wider variety of options at the grocery store.

Examples of the products that will be launched as a result of these projects include:

• Earth’s Own Foods will be transitioning its US-based soybean supply to source directly from Canada, creating a fully Canadian soy-based beverage and providing consumers with a great tasting, high-protein Canadian-produced dairy alternative.
• Oat & Mill is replacing their US-sourced pea protein with new Canadian protein ingredients, supporting local farmers while improving the sustainability of their products.
• Cedar Valley Selections is reformulating their pita chips to include Canadian pulses, reducing the chips’ oil absorption during production to create a healthier, more sustainable snack for Canadian families to enjoy.

A total of $1.3 million has been invested into the five projects, with Protein Industries Canada committing $615,000 and the companies committing the remainder. Information about each of the companies and their projects is available in the attached backgrounder.

Attachments:

backgrounder-supplychainprojects.pdf

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Guelph, Ontario, September 25, 2025 – NSF, a leading global public health and safety organization, today released insightful consumer survey data, evaluating Canadians’ perceptions of food labels. Insights showcase a lack of confidence among consumers in food labels, difficulty in interpreting nutritional information and insufficient transparency regarding processing methods, allergens and sustainability.

This data comes as Canada faces its upcoming Front of Package Nutrition Labelling regulation, which is set to be implemented on January 1, 2026. This new regulation was designed to help provide shoppers with hard-to-ignore nutritional information highlighting products that are high in sugar, sodium and saturated fats.

The survey identified gaps beyond what this regulation will provide, with key survey findings including:

• Enhanced Labelling Demands: 85% of respondents say that detailed processing information would be useful, along with comprehensive allergen information at 83%. Ethical sourcing and the environmental impact score came in at 72% and 70%, respectively.
• Label Attention: Overwhelmingly, 90% of 18–34-year-olds are more likely than average to read a product’s label before purchasing a food item. Meanwhile, 66% of respondents pay more attention to food labels compared to five years ago.
• Influence on Purchasing Behavior: Consumers prioritize reading the expiration date (69%), ingredients list (60%) and nutritional information (57%). They weren’t as likely to read the health claims (33%) or allergen warnings (27%).
• Generational Priorities: Across Gen Z, Millennials and Boomers, expiration dates were the most read, jumping from 55% of Gen Z to 80% of Boomers. While allergen warnings ranked the least read, 83% of all adults say that their top priority is clearer allergen labelling, including a thorough list of potential product allergens and cross-contamination during production.
• Label Comprehension Challenges: A startling one in five consumers struggles to interpret nutritional information, with 31% of consumers failing to understand organic certification, 28% struggling with sustainability claims and 23% with processing methods.
• Sustainability Focus: While 71% of respondents say sustainability is an important purchasing consideration for food, only 25% completely understand sustainability claims and only 39% agree that current food labels adequately address sustainability concerns.

• Lack of Confidence: Only 9% of adults find health claims very trustworthy. Less than half of adults (48%) rate Canadian food labelling better than labelling in other countries.

“Health and wellness continue to be a focus for most consumers, and with the growing popularity of label-review apps and lack of critical food labelling information in e-commerce, NSF’s research demonstrates that many consumers are reading labels with a more critical eye. The food industry must respond to these evolving consumer demands, prioritizing more transparent, accessible and reliable labeling practices as regulations are updated and introduced.”

Michelle Anstey, Regulatory Manager at NSF

Easy-to-interpret, validated food labeling can help consumers make informed decisions related to diet and well-being. According to Health Canada, one in five adults live with chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Meanwhile, .

Food labels play a key role in shaping consumer choices and supporting public health. In Canada, labels are being increasingly scrutinized by consumers, the media, government and retailers. NSF supports food manufacturers and retailers with that meet consumer expectations and regulatory labeling requirements. The organization also , such as Organic, Vegan, Cruelty-Free, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, Plant-Based, Raised Without Antibiotics and more, helping businesses to differentiate their products while increasing sales.

“NSF’s consumer survey results point us in the right direction as we revisit and improve food labeling. By improving transparency and standardization, we can better communicate with consumers and support a more sustainable, trustworthy food supply chain.”

Michelle Anstey, Regulatory Manager at NSF

To learn more, read .

Givaudan, a global leader in Taste & Wellbeing, will present its latest science-backed solutions in cognitive performance, stress management, and gut health at SupplySide Global 2025. Visitors to booth #3257 can explore innovative concepts highlighting Givaudan’s expertise in natural actives, scientific validation, and great-tasting functional applications. The company will also share a first look at new research connecting natural ingredients to benefits in performance and sports nutrition.

With growing interest in mental and physical wellbeing, Givaudan’s interactive booth experience will provide exclusive insights into next-generation formulations—designed to deliver on taste and efficacy.

Key highlights at booth #3257:

• A preview of the most recent exploratory research, conducted in partnership with respected academic and performance‑training experts.
• Cereboost™, a patented American ginseng extract, and its role in supporting performance for sports nutrition.
• Zensera™, a patent-pending lemon balm extract designed to help support cognitive performance under stress.¹
• Arrabina®-P, a highly soluble gluten-free extract of several prebiotic fibres, and the role of dietary fibre in helping to support a healthy gut microbiome. These benefits are now more relevant than ever with rising consumer awareness of GLP‑1 drugs and the broader links between fibre intake and overall wellness.

Ingredient spotlight

Cereboost™

89% of consumers now view their mental and emotional health as equally important as physical health.² Cereboost™ is the natural way for consumers to help support mood, attention, energy, and memory in an increasingly high-pressure world with some studies reporting same-day results.

Zensera™

Research shows that 70% of adults in the U.S. feel overwhelmed by work and daily responsibilities³, while 37% struggle to take action when stressed.⁴ Zensera™ is a patent-pending lemon balm extract that supports cognitive performance under stress, providing a same-day health benefit in nutraceutical applications.

Arrabina®-P
Over 50% of U.S. adults are actively seeking foods that promote a healthy gut microbiome⁵, but concerns about digestive discomfort have created a need for solutions that are gentle on the gut. Arrabina®-P is a complex of naturally occurring dietary fibres, specifically designed to gently support gut health. This sustainable ingredient is gluten-free, low FODMAP, Upcycled certified, and can be incorporated into a wide variety of food, beverage, and nutraceutical applications to add fibre content and nutritional appeal.

A first look at Givaudan’s new research

With cognitive performance and gut health capturing increasing attention from consumers and product developers, Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing will offer a first look at how the new research is shaping formulation strategies. Experts will be on hand throughout the show to discuss opportunities to co-create next-generation dietary supplements and functional foods.

Explore Givaudan’s complete ingredients portfolio, market insights, and scientific expertise at SupplySide Global 2025.

●        Date: 29-30 October 2025

●        Location: Stand #3257, Las Vegas, Nevada

For more information, please visit the Givaudan Health & Nutrition Hub: https://healthnutritionhub.givaudan.com/

FREDERICTON, NB, Sept. 24, 2025 /CNW/ - LuminUltra, a global leader in applied molecular testing, has entered into a partnership with Kikkoman Biochemifa to expand access to its industry-leading food safety and hygiene monitoring tools across North America.

Through this agreement, LuminUltra becomes an official distributor of Kikkoman's Food Safety Testing Solutions, uniting two leaders in microbial monitoring innovation. Kikkoman brings a reputation as a globally respected food producer and trusted supplier of food safety technologies. LuminUltra brings 30+ years of proven expertise in developing tools and workflows that help industries manage their microbial challenges with confidence.

A Better Way to Monitor Food Hygiene and Safety

LuminUltra will now add the ability to support food safety and hygiene programs through two of Kikkoman's flagship tools:

• The A3 Hygiene Monitoring System detects ATP, ADP, and AMP, providing a more complete picture of surface cleanliness than traditional ATP only tests. With a more thorough picture in the same amount of time as traditional ATP, food safety teams get more data to ensure they've sanitized their production space thoroughly, and the insights to take more action if they haven't. This is especially relevant to sectors including ready-to-eat, dairy and meat products, where the impact of improper sanitization is highest.
• Easy Plate^™, a ready-to-use, self-contained culture-based solution for detecting pathogens and indicator organisms that cut prep time in half by eliminating the need for media prep or spreader step. Users get testing that is simpler, faster, and more accessible – with no special equipment required, unlike traditional plating solutions. When combined with the Colony Counting System for Easy Plate^™, labs further boost performance by eliminating the variability and time burden of manual counting.

"These solutions have been trusted by food producers and distributors across Asia and Europe for decades, but they are underutilized here in North America," said Pat Whalen, President and CEO of LuminUltra. "This is about accelerating access to more accurate and sensitive testing for the North American food and beverage market. Producers want better and more proactive insights but haven't had the access to or awareness of the right solutions. We've built our business on educating industries on why a better test matters, and we're bringing that expertise to rolling out this game-changing tools for the food & beverage industry."

An Aligned Partnership for Growth

LuminUltra and Kikkoman have built a strong working relationship over the past 30 years, collaborating on innovation and product development and united through a shared common belief that better microbial monitoring tools lead to better insights, and ultimately, better outcomes.

This expanded partnership marks a significant evolution of that relationship, formalizing a commitment to bring full-service, proven food safety technologies to more producers across North America. It also reflects LuminUltra's strategic focus on the expanding its support to the food and beverage market, where proper microbiological management is mission critical but product supply and innovation has been limited. From the acquisition of Impact Microbiology Services (IMS) in 2023 to ongoing investment in diagnostic tools, LuminUltra continues to build a comprehensive offering tailored to the unique demands of this critical sector.

"LuminUltra brings the kind of deep technical focus and customer-first mindset we value in a partner," said Yoshiaki Asami, President of the Kikkoman Biochemifa Company. "As a food manufacturer ourselves, we understand the real-world needs and challenges that QA/QC teams face every day. We have seen first-hand how valuable and important these tools are to other geographic markets across Asia and Europe. With today's announcement, we're proud to be expanding the reach of these solutions into North America and to be supporting a stronger, safer food system globally."

Learn more or connect with the LuminUltra team at .