Construction of Merit Functional Foods’ 94,000-square foot production facility is underway.Merit’s facility will produce the high purity and quality pea and canola protein.
Several major project milestones have been completed or are in progress: the facility’s superstructure was assembled in May, and the initial placement of equipment and enclosure of the building is occurring throughout June. When complete, it will be the first and only commercial facility with the capability to produce food-grade canola protein, a new and exciting entrant to the plant-based protein ingredient segment.
“This facility is going to be key in redefining plant-based protein,” Merit co-CEO Ryan Bracken said. “It’s a flexible facility that will produce an unprecedented pea protein and the first canola protein available for use in foods and beverages. Both of these proteins will have functional and nutritional characteristics that will set them apart from other ingredients available on the
market.”
Merit is a Canadian company that is committed to exceeding expectations for plant-based protein, with pea and canola ingredients that offer purity, taste, and solubility. From farm to facility, its fully coordinated supply chain provides a made-in- Canada solution. The company’s pea and canola will be sourced and grown in Western Canada and processed and manufactured in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Manitoba is the heart of Canada’s agricultural hubs. This, along with its capacity to support the project’s utilities requirements, makes the location a natural fit for the facility. Over the coming three years, Merit will create more than 175 new jobs for the community.
The current design for the facility is optimized to meet initial market demand for Merit’s specialty protein ingredients, and it is being designed with future growth in mind.
Merit has secured a debt financing package from a consortium of lenders including Export Development Canada, Farm Credit Canada, Agricultural and Agri-Food Canada, and CIBC. The funding will commercialize and expand production capacity to address the growing global demand for plant proteins.
Merit’s protein extraction technology will help position Canada as one of the world’s leaders in plant-based protein.
