| | A new Alberta facility positions the province as a world research leader in food safety, value-added food and agri-industrial products.
The University of Alberta (U of A) hosted the official opening of the $25 million Agri-Food Discovery Place (AFDP) facility on June 23, 2006.
"This was a project that required dedication and commitment from a number of parties," said Doug Horner, Minister of Alberta Agriculture. "The research capabilities and the cutting-edge technology that the facility has to offer will ensure Alberta's place as a leader in the agri-food industry.
"This facility is going to help Alberta's ag industry continue to grow in new and innovative ways, and examine new ways to make the world's food supply safe and secure. Facilities like this will help us market to the world and promote the fact that we are leaders in making our food the best, the safest and the most secure."
Agriculture research is changing, with additional attention being given to bio-health, medicine, innovations in product technology and value-added possibilities. AFDP is a sophisticated, advanced, leading-edge work and think place that will be the site of many Alberta-based breakthroughs.
"This is a one-of-a-kind facility, doing research done nowhere else in North America," said Dr. Indira Samarasekera, president of the U of A. "It is an investment that will pay off many, many times over."
There has been an increasing need for a facility like this. AFDP is home to the Crop Utilization and Enhanced Materials Research Unit and the Meat Safety and Processing Research Unit. The research at the facility will focus on:
- developing antimicrobials to improve safety and extend storage life of meats, pathogen intervention, and the impact of food processing on pathogen survival
- assessing sensory attributes and consumer perceptions for quality assurance and food product development
- supercritical fluid and grain fractionation technologies for the recovery of high-value components such as nutraceuticals and beta-glucan
- optimizing cereal fermentations for improved cereal foods and metabolic engineering of lactic acid bacteria for the production of value-added food ingredients
"The agriculture economy is in transition as it goes from a commodity-based system to new uses for the crops produced," said Dr. John Kennelly, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Home Ecomonics, U of A. "These new agricultural produces range from new health products to bioplastics, and AFDP has the scientific capacity to make these new discoveries which, hopefully, will result in benefits and tremendous opportunities for producers in Alberta."
The Bioindustrial Technology Division (BTD) of Alberta Agriculture will also have offices at AFDP. Working within this area, researchers and industry partners will collaborate with engineering experts on research ventures in the bioindustrial field.
"Equally important," said Horner, "this facility will provide opportunities for Alberta graduate students to study, train and work with some of the best agri-food researchers and work in the best agri-food research facility."
The U of A offers Alberta's only undergraduate and graduate education in food science and technology. This world-class innovative research, training and technology transfer facility is a wonderful addition to the resources available to students.
Partners in the development and construction of the facility include: the U of A, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Alberta Innovation and Science, Western Economic Diversification Canada, Cargill, the Canadian Wheat Board, Alberta Barley Commission, Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Canola Producers Commission, Canada Alberta Beef Industry Development Fund, Canada Safeway Foundation, Drylander Ranch (Brian Heidecker), U of A Home Economics Class of 1950, Loblaw Companies Limited, Brian Long, Lynn McMullen and Feral Temelli.
Contact:
Matthew Machielse
BTD, Alberta Agriculture
(780) 679-5171
Cynthia Strawson
U of A
(780) 492-8127 |
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