Plant-based protein developer Burcon to offer pilot processing, scale-up services
Burcon NutraScience Corp., a leader in the development of plant-based proteins for food and beverages, is expanding to offer ingredient processing and scale-up services.
Vancouver-based Burcon, which closed on a $3.4 million round of private financing in mid-May, will offer the infrastructure capabilities at its 10,000-square-foot Winning Technical Centre to partners and customers, according to a news release.
“After a successful round of financing, we are thrilled to move forward on our Burcon 2.0 strategy,” Burcon CEO Kip Underwood said in the release. “In order to engage the market and improve our customer intimacy, we are excited to offer Burcon’s world-class expertise and pilot-scale processing as a service. Our Winnipeg Technical Centre offers a comprehensive range of plant protein processing capabilities. We look forward to supporting our fellow industry peers to develop the next generation of best-in-class ingredients and products.”
The Winnipeg Technical Centre includes a lab and pilot-scale production area utilizing state-of-the-art commercial processing equipment for start-to-finish product development. Burcon’s team of scientists and engineers have more than 250 years of combined food processing experience.
Burcon will provide consulting and contract services, product and process development, and process scale-up and validation, according to the release. Its facility offers services including extraction, clarification and separation; membrane filtration; heat treatment capabilities; spray and freeze drying; and cold pressing.
“Over the years, Burcon’s world-class team of experts has worked with industry partners to solve many different challenges in food processing and protein development,” said Randy Willardsen, Burcon’s senior vice president of process. “Burcon is delighted to make our services and problem-solving expertise available to our customers and the general food and beverage industry as the marketplace goes through a period of unprecedented change and amazing opportunity over the next few years and decades.”
