Strathmore, Alta., Sept. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new Canadian-led innovation is strengthening local food manufacturing, supporting supply chain resilience, and positioning Canada as a global leader in high-value, plant-based ingredients. With support from Protein Industries Canada, Alberta start-up Phytokana Ingredients Inc. (Phytokana), in partnership with Vancouver-based Maia Farms, is advancing a $32.5 million project to turn Canadian-grown fava beans into nutritious and sustainable ingredients for the next generation of plant-based foods. Of the $32.5 million being invested $25.9 million will come from the industry partners, and $6.6 million from Protein Industries Canada.

“This investment marks an exciting leap forward for Canada’s plant-based ingredient sector. By harnessing innovative technologies and capturing the full potential of Canadian crops, we are strengthening Canada’s position as a leading global supplier, opening up new markets and creating high-quality jobs for Canadians,” said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. “With support from Protein Industries Canada, one of Canada’s global innovation clusters, this project will deliver sustainable food products with increased traceability, helping Canada achieve its environmental goals while strengthening consumer confidence.”

The project brings together Canadian farmers, processors and food tech innovators to strengthen the domestic value chain for fava beans, while bringing superior products to global consumers. Using its proprietary technology, which avoids heat and chemicals, Phytokana will process novel fava varieties into protein concentrate, starch flour and fava flour with improved taste, texture and nutrition. These sustainable, high-quality ingredients retain their natural functionality, making them ideal for use in dairy alternatives, plant-based meats and other food products.

“As countries around the world look to secure their own food supply chains and diversify protein sources, plant-based ingredients, such as those that are being developed by Phytokana and Maia Farms, are becoming increasingly in demand by our trading partners,” Protein Industries Canada Senior Director of Programs Lisa Campbell said. “Projects such as this one, which help capture the economic value of creating those ingredients domestically, also position Canada as a preferred trading partner in a competitive and quickly changing world.”

In addition to commercializing their proprietary technology, Phytokana is also in the process of securing funding to construct and commission a fully automated 30,000 metric tonne a year dry fractionation processing facility. The facility, which will be built near Strathmore, AB, will allow the company to scale to meet the growing global demand.

“Our native functionality and superior sensory fava ingredients are the culmination of research and innovation in collaboration with some of the world’s leading food and beverage companies. This contribution from Protein Industries Canada primarily supports the direct investment into our custom-designed process flow, overlain with automation and advanced predictive process controls that serve to deliver value-added, sustainable and consistent quality food ingredients to global markets,” Phytokana President & CEO Chris Theal said.

The project also includes a partnership with Vancouver’s Maia Farms, a food tech company that uses fermentation to upcycle flours into high-value fermented mushroom proteins with enhanced digestibility and functional properties. Phytokana will supply Maia Farms with their fava ingredients, which Maia Farms will use to create new mycelium-based ingredients.

“Maia’s mission is to Nourish Life on a global scale. Maia has established commercial partnerships from coast to coast, building the infrastructure to establish Canada as a leader in mushroom-based protein ingredients and fermentation technology. Maia’s ingredients for food manufacturers are nutrient dense, sustainable, and delicious. With the support of Protein Industries Canada, Maia will further advance its biomass fermentation technology, upcycling Phytokana’s fava ingredients into value-added, sustainable ingredients. We are grateful to expand this valuable partnership,” Maia Farms CEO Gavin Schneider said.

Protein Industries Canada is one of Canada’s five Global Innovation Clusters. Protein Industries Canada and its members are working to seize the $25 billion opportunity presented by increasing value-added production of Canada’s high-protein crops.

Projects and partnerships like this one add value to, and create new markets for, Canadian crops, generating local jobs and supporting new economic development in locations across Canada. More information can be found at 

ATLANTA, September 10, 2025 - Graphic Packaging International (“Graphic Packaging”), a global leader in sustainable consumer packaging, will unveil two first-to-market innovations at drinktec 2025 (September 15-19, Messe München, Munich, Germany), offering beverage brands and producers new ways to drive premium shelf presence, eliminate shrink film, and maximise operational efficiency.

Drawing on the company’s proven innovative technology capabilities, the two innovations — wrap-style paperboard multipacks with primary container orientation and a modular multipack system for shrink film replacement on tertiary packaging, including clip-style solutions — will be demonstrated at the Graphic Packaging booth, Hall C1, C1-321.

This latest design of wrap-style multipacks ensures that the orientation of the primary container is consistently maintained through the supply chain and onto the retail shelf. This innovation not only enhances on-shelf impact by ensuring every can faces the same direction but also eliminates the need for a separate ad panel to cover barcodes. This cuts paperboard volume by approximately 25 percent compared to wraps with an ad panel, supporting material minimisation goals.

Designed to run on a customer’s existing high-speed Marksman™ machine, the new wraps with orientation deliver excellent operational efficiency, do not compromise speed or machine footprint, and are ISTA 3E certified, providing assurance that they will meet tough supply chain demands.

Also debuting at drinktec 2025 is a new family of multipack modules designed to replace shrink-film on corrugated trays used for tertiary packaging or distribution. The modules can add paperboard clips (EnviroClip™ or EnviroTop™) to loose bottles and cans or can place paperboard multipacks directly into trays. The modules are fast, flexible, and compatible with a wide range of primary containers and pack configurations. They can be installed behind any current tray packer equipment, or with Graphic Packaging’s new QuikFlex™ TP tray packer, which is built on proven QuikFlex technology and can run both corrugated and paperboard trays.

“There’s a lot of talk in the industry about future-ready packaging, but what brands really need are solutions that work right here and now — on their lines, in their supply chains, and on the shelf,”said Steve Gould, director of new business development, global beverage, at Graphic Packaging. “

We’re working to move the industry forward in a way that’s practical, scalable, and sustainable, and that’s exactly what these systems represent. They’re smart, adaptable technologies designed to offer real-world gains, whether it’s plastic reduction, material savings, operational efficiency, or shelf appeal. drinktec is where the brightest and best in the beverage industry gather to solve meaningful challenges, and we’re proud to be innovating for change.”

To learn more about Graphic Packaging’s expertise in beverage packaging solutions, visit .

ESPOO, Finland (September 10, 2025) – , a Finnish biotech company pioneering sustainable protein ingredients, has achieved self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status for its flagship mycoprotein ingredient, , following an independent expert panel review for use in U.S. food applications. A key step toward FDA-reviewed GRAS status, the milestone opens the door to partnerships with U.S. food manufacturers.

Unlike most mycoproteins, which are sold wet or frozen, PEKILO® comes in a dry, powdered form that ships and stores like flour, making it shelf-stable, cost-efficient to transport, and easy to integrate into production lines for plant-based alternatives, sports nutrition, and healthy snacking at a time when soy remains the  but  protein source.

“Achieving self-affirmed GRAS status marks a major milestone in the commercialization of our PEKILO® mycoprotein and its entry into the U.S. market. We’re excited to start collaborating with food manufacturers in the US, introducing to the market our ingredient that delivers high levels of digestible protein and dietary fiber, enabling innovation across a broad spectrum of food applications,” said Elisa Arte, Head of Food Research and Development at Enifer.

PEKILO®’s U.S. market debut comes amid surging demand for sustainable proteins. The global market for alternative proteins is expanding roughly , while the clean-label category – focused on simple, consumer-trusted ingredients –  is  per year through 2035.

Enifer is also pursuing notified GRAS status, submitting safety data for FDA review to further strengthen confidence among U.S. food manufacturers.

“Plant-based foods won’t win over consumers unless they’re genuinely better than what came before,” said Simo Ellilä, CEO and co-founder of Enifer. “PEKILO® makes that possible — it brings a neutral color and taste, a natural combination of protein and fiber, and strong water-holding capacity. These properties complement soy and pea proteins, giving food makers new flexibility to develop plant-based products that deliver better texture, nutrition, and overall consumer appeal.”

Founded in 2020, Enifer has developed mycoprotein ingredients for the food and feed industry using a fermentation technology first pioneered in Finland in the 1970s. The process turns food and agricultural industry byproducts into high-quality protein  than animal or soy-based sources.

Enifer’s U.S. expansion builds on €36 million raised in 2024 to scale production, including a commercial-scale mycoprotein facility in Finland. The plant is expected to begin production in 2026 with a capacity of up to 3,000 tonnes a year, and will initially serve customers in the pet food sector, with food-ingredient production to follow soon after.

Enifer will showcase PEKILO® at SupplySide West in Las Vegas this October as it begins partnering with U.S. food manufacturers.

Souderton, PA — 9/9/25 — NCC Automated Systems, a leader in sanitary conveying solutions, has successfully delivered a custom spiral conveyor and fryer loading conveyor system designed to handle delicate rangoons with precision, hygiene, and reliability.

Built around NCC’s SideDrive Spiral Conveyor and a seamless fryer infeed solution, the system combines space efficiency, gentle product handling, and uncompromising cleanability for today’s high-demand bakery and snack production environments.

System Highlights

Seamless fryer loading – ensures consistent product placement and optimized fryer efficiency.

Space-saving spiral cooling – maximizes floor space while providing controlled, reliable cooling.

High-pressure washdown ready – engineered for sanitation with open design and easy access for thorough cleaning.

Designed for Food Safety & Uptime

Every element of the system was engineered with food safety and cleanability in mind, supporting high-pressure washdown and minimizing harborage points. The result is a solution that boosts uptime, reduces sanitation cycles, and ensures product quality batch after batch.

“At NCC, we design conveying solutions that not only keep food moving, but keep production lines efficient, hygienic, and profitable,” said Tony Maniscalco, Senior Territory Sales Manager at NCC. “This project demonstrates our ability to integrate fryer loading and spiral cooling seamlessly into a bakery production environment.”

Move Your Production Forward

From bakery and snack to dairy and beyond, NCC designs and delivers conveying and automation systems that improve efficiency, throughput, and sanitation.

To learn more about NCC’s spiral and fryer conveyor solutions, contact info@nccas.com.