Burcon now offers ingredient processing and scale-up services

Winnipeg Technical Centre. Image courtesy of Burcon.

Burcon NutraScience Corporation (Vancouver, British Columbia) has announced the expansion of its protein development and innovation business by offering pilot plant processing and scale-up validation as a service for partners and customers.

“After a successful round of financing, we are thrilled to move forward on our Burcon 2.0 strategy. 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,” said Kip Underwood, Burcon’s chief executive officer, in a press release. “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 has 10,000 square feet of lab and pilot-scale production area that utilizes state-of-the-art commercial processing equipment for start-to-finish product development. The Centre’s infrastructure also includes:

• Extraction / Clarification / Separation
• Membrane filtration (MF, UF, NF, RO)
• Heat treatment capabilities
• Spray & Freeze drying
• Cold pressing capabilities (eg oilseeds)
• Analytical, Functionality & Product Application Labs

Manufacturers can leverage the company’s infrastructure and food processing expertise for product and process development or process scale-up and validation. Burcon’s core competencies include:

• Process development for plant proteins
• Aqueous protein extraction and purification
• Membrane technology
• Solid/liquid & liquid/liquid separation
• Drying & blending
• Upcycled value-added ingredient isolation

“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, adding, “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.”