By Alice McFarlane

Growing the oat-based beverage market

Mar 22, 2022 | 4:49 PM

MELFORT, Sask. – As more and more people turn to plant-based beverages, Canada can play a role in the production of dairy-alternatives that use crops grown and processed in this country.

A new project between Oat Canada and Roquette will work towards developing more oat-based food and beverage products.

Protein Industries Canada will provide $4.1 million towards the development of novel oat ingredients and oat-based items that are nutritionally superior to many products on the market.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said oats account for a good part of Canada’s crops used in the production of plant-based beverages and ingredients.

“This project will increase oat-processing capabilities, a value-added economic activity in Canada. It will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with exporting raw oats and importing oat ingredients,” Bibeau said. “Processing more oats in Canada means greater choice for Canadians and a stronger supply chain.”

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Oat Canada launched a zero-sugar oat milk product in 2020. Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Jamari Ambursley said creating a nutritious oat milk meant inventing an entirely new technology.

“As sustainability and environmental concerns continue to shift consumer preferences to plant-based alternatives, innovation is necessary to deliver equivalent, if not better, nutritional value as animal-based products,” Ambursley said. “We remain focused and committed to innovation and will continue to collaborate with partners and customers, to produce products that give people the freedom to choose plant-based without sacrificing nutrition, functionality or taste.”

Roquette Americas Head of Research and Development Leon Zhou said the company excels at innovation and research of plant-based ingredients.

“Through our partnership with Oat Canada and the support of Protein Industries Canada, we are well positioned to continue our innovation and research on oat protein with the goal of meeting consumer demand for new and exciting plant-based food options,” Zhou said.

Roquette will develop the oat-protein ingredient while Oat Canada will test the ingredient in its current line of products as well as in several new products.

Research shows demand for plant-based dairy alternatives could grow to $62 billion by 2030, which is an increase of more than 92 per cent and reach 10 per cent of the total dairy market.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW