REGINA — Two Ontario companies were named winners in the novel technologies stream of the federal government’s Food Waste Reduction Challenge.
Clean Works Inc. and Genecis Biodindustries Inc. will each get up to $1 million to take their solutions to the next level.
Clean Works is based in St. Catharines and created a solution using hydrogen peroxide, ozone and UV to control mildew and micro-organisms in pre-harvest fruits and vegetables. It can be used in greenhouses and on field crops and grapevines and increases the shelf life of produce by up to 20 per cent.
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The company estimates that would prevent nearly 50 tonnes of food waste each year in Canada for grapes and spinach alone.
Toronto-based Genecis developed a bacteria that turns food waste into compostable bioplastics. In the last three years, it has diverted more than 2.1 tonnes of food waste from the landfill and produced about 5,000 tonnes of bioplastic a year.
Denise VanderVeen, director of business development at Clean Works, said support from the challenge positions the company and Canada as a world leader.
“With this support, Clean Works can bring products to market that provide sustainable solutions to battle plant disease and food-borne illness while reducing chemical use, ensuring safety of our pollinators and increasing the bottom line for our farmers,” she said.
Genecis chief executive officer Luna Yu said the prize money enhances technological capability and expands the company’s operation scope.
“We believe that our participation in the Food Waste Reduction Challenge will enable Canadians to live healthier and more sustainable lives and inspire the next generation of innovators,” she said.
The challenge was launched in November 2020 by Agriculture Canada and Impact Canada to create solutions to the country’s food waste problem. An estimated 58 per cent of Canada’s annual food supply is wasted or lost.
There were two categories: the novel technologies stream and the business models stream. The business model winners were named in March.
The novel technologies stream attracted 238 applications, leading to 18 semi-finalists and six finalists before the two winners were named.
Contact karen.briere@producer.com
