Alberta Food Centre services and facilities

In 1984, we opened our doors as the Food Processing Development Centre. At the time, the 2,800 square metre facility featured a product development laboratory and a pilot-scale processing plant with nearly $2 million in equipment to carry out most food processes.

Today, the Alberta Food Centre is the largest facility of its kind in North America, at 15,300 square metres. We offer our clients:

• a laboratory and culinary kitchen for benchtop product development
• a pilot-scale processing plant with $30 million in specialized equipment to prepare food, beverage and ingredient products for sale
• an incubator space with leasable food processing suites, storage and shared staff amenities such as lunchrooms and locker rooms

Our facility meets federal food regulation requirements, which allows you to prepare products for sale in Canada. Some products may also be eligible for international export.

Shipping products from our facility is straightforward. We are conveniently located just minutes away from the Edmonton International Airport and Alberta’s major highways.

We have food scientists, technologists and business development officers who can assist your food venture at any stage along the way. Together, they help you determine how to prepare and package your product for marketing and distribution to consumers within Canada. Some products may also be eligible for export.

Food scientists and technologists

We have expertise to help you develop and process:

• bakery items
• beverages
• condiments, soups and sauces
• confectionary products
• food ingredients
• fortified, enriched and enhanced foods
• jams and spreads
• minimally processed whole foods
• ready to eat meals
• value-added meat, dairy and plant protein products

Our experts can also provide technical consultations offsite if you already operate a value-added food processing facility.

Business development team

We support you in positioning your company for sustainable growth beyond our facility. Our business development team provides coaching to help you:

• meet your business needs and goals
• understand domestic and international market requirements
• identify opportunities and address challenges that come with expansion
• network and connect to programs and resources like seminars, webinars, demonstrations and business growth tools

We will also connect you with professionals who can help take your food venture to the next level. You can get advice on:

• business planning
• marketing
• financial planning
• accounting
• legal matters

Our food scientists will work with you in our laboratory and culinary kitchen to:

• develop product formulations
• prototype new product ideas
• conduct analytical testing to assess product characteristics
• establish and measure food safety criteria
• apply industry-driven research and best practices

Our laboratory offers food safety, quality and analytical testing for products developed and processed onsite. We do not provide accredited analysis or other commercial lab services.

If your company has product development experts, they may use our lab and kitchen on their own.

See our laboratory and culinary kitchen through virtual tours. You can also review the specialized equipment for benchtop product development.

Our food scientists and processing technologists will work with you in the pilot-scale processing plant to:

• prototype new product ideas
• scale-up production
• develop efficient processes
• package products to present to potential buyers

They will teach you how to use our specialized equipment for:

• baking
• battering, pre-dusting and breading
• dry processing
• wet processing
• non-thermal high-pressure processing
• thermal processing
• freezing
• packaging

Take a look at our specialized equipment and see the pilot-scale processing plant through virtual tours.

You can use our pilot-scale processing plant on an interim basis until you graduate and take one of these steps to grow your business:

• lease a processing suite in our incubator space
• process out of your own facility
• partner with a co-packer

When you process in our pilot-scale plant, we will:

• assist you in getting the required processing licence from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• teach you how to produce and package food, beverage and ingredient products for sale in target markets using our specialized equipment
• coordinate post-processing cleaning services
• provide temporary storage space and access to shipping docks

During interim processing, you are responsible for:

• providing your own production staff
• having a company representative onsite who can make decisions and supervise staff and activities

Take a look at our specialized equipment and see the pilot-scale processing plant through virtual tours.

Our food scientists can consult with you at your facility. They offer advice and recommendations on:

• product development
• scale-up
• process optimization

We advance industry-driven, applied research through partnerships with Canadian and international:

• food, beverage and ingredient companies
• agri-food industry associations like the Alberta Pulse Growers
• academic and research institutions
• other government facilities like ours

Research partners have a client service agreement and collaborate with us on a fee-for-service basis to address new challenges and opportunities in the agri-food industry.

Our food scientists may lead or support applied research projects at our facility. They will also consult on research projects at a client’s facility. Through these partnerships, we help develop innovative products, processes and technologies to meet emerging food trends at home and abroad.

Our facility is a designated organization under Canada’s Start-up Visa Program. Immigrant entrepreneurs can become clients at our facility and work with us to launch a new food processing business. We can assist these clients in applying for permanent residence in Canada through the Start-up Visa Program.

Ask the Alberta Food Centre about the support we provide: [email protected].

Clients work with us on a fee-for-service basis. The following fees apply to Alberta-based companies and processing facilities. The fees for out-of-province clients vary and will be determined before your service agreement is signed. Our daily rates are based on a 7.25 hour day.

Step 1. Gather required information

Before completing the application, make sure to know the:

• project details:
  • project description or product idea including the objectives, expected outcomes and product stage
  • current market location and segment
  • target market location and segment for the next one to 2 years
  • annual company sales
  • current manufacturing location and capabilities
  • number of full-time and part-time staff
  • project funding source
  • target completion date
• anticipated business impacts:
  • how the project will impact the Alberta economy by using local ingredients, working with a co-packer, creating jobs, etc.
  • estimated investment, if applicable, to buy equipment, expand or build a facility

Step 2. Complete the application

Fill out the application form and save it to your computer:

• Application for Technical Assistance form

Step 3. Submit your application

Email your completed application form to [email protected].

A business development officer or food scientist will contact you to further understand your project’s business readiness and technical requirements. When we have all the information we need, we will review your application.

Once an application is accepted, we will enter into a client service agreement with your company. Then we will help you take the next steps to develop and process product, while evolving your business.

There are 8 processing suites for lease that include:

• open, useable space to install processing equipment
• an office
• utility services

There is also a suite for protein extraction that includes:

• wet fractionation equipment such as a decanter, a centrifuge and a spray dryer
• an office
• utility services

Through the lease, you will have access to:

• in-suite processing and storage space
• common shipping and receiving docks with pallet-moving equipment
• shared staff amenities
• office space and services
• common dry, refrigerated and frozen storage areas (for suites built before 2023)
• our business development team
• our food safety team for help navigating Canadian Food Inspection Agency regulations and licensing, and import and export laws
• our food scientists and technologists for help with product and process development on a fee-for-service basis

See the processing suites, shared staff amenities and common areas through virtual tours.

Most tenants lease one or more suites on a 3-year contract with a graduated fee structure. During the first 2 years, the leasing fee is 85% of the base rate. In the third year, the fee is the base rate. Then you have the option to renew the lease for one or 2 years at 125% of the base rate.

Each lease also includes an annual fixed service fee for food safety and shipping and receiving services.

When you graduate to your own facility or a co-packer’s facility, you have 30 days from the date your lease expires to:

• remove your processing equipment from the suite
• make repairs and return the suite to its original state

Review the leasing rates for the processing suites and occupancy status Alberta Food Centre: Leasable processing suites.

Step 1. Prepare a business plan

You must submit a detailed 5-year business plan with your application that includes:

• an executive summary
• the company profile, vision, mission and goals
• the products, services and pricing structure
• market research
  • industry analysis
  • market analysis (strengths, weaknesses opportunities and threats, size, trends and projected sales growth)
  • target market (demographics and psychographics)
  • competitive analysis (competitor profile and market share)
• a marketing plan
  • marketing goals
  • branding (positioning and pricing strategy, visual identity and packaging)
  • marketing and promotional strategies, implementation plan and budget
  • distribution strategies
• an operation and management plan
• a financial plan
• the benefits and economic impacts for Alberta and Albertans such as the projected
  • quantity and value of raw materials and inputs sourced within the province
  • new jobs for Albertans
  • export activities and values
  • investment within Alberta

Step 2. Gather required information

Before completing the application, make sure to have your business plan ready and know the:

• products your company will process at our facility and the product development stage for each (initial development, ready to launch or being sold)
• process flow
• main equipment you will install and the installation requirements
• dry and refrigerated storage requirements for incoming goods and outgoing finished products on pallets
• current manufacturing and distribution capabilities of your company
• intended market for your finished products
• date you want to start leasing
• strategy for graduating from our facility

Step 3. Complete the application

Fill out the application form and save it to your computer:

• Alberta Food Centre Leasable Processing Space form

Step 4. Submit your application package

Email your completed application form and business plan to [email protected].

We will review your application package within a month and call you to discuss:

• the application and business plan
• the processing suite and services you require
• any other information you need to submit

When we have all the information we need, a tenant selection committee will evaluate your application package based on demonstrated need for our services and your plans for success.

The committee includes representatives from the Alberta Food Centre and Agriculture Financial Services Corporation who have expertise in value-added processing and business development.

The timeline for selecting tenants varies. It may take from one to 3 months if you need to submit more information.

Once the selection process is complete, we notify you by phone and email.

Ken Gossen
Executive Director
Food and Bio Processing Branch
Phone: 780-980-4860
Email: [email protected]

Elizabeth Melnichuk
Director
Operations
Phone: 780-980-4872
Email: [email protected]

Michelle Sigvaldson
Director
Food Science and Development
Phone: 780-980-4820
Email: [email protected]

Sasa Subasic
Manager
Facilities
Email: [email protected]

Cody Cunningham
Manager
Business Development
Phone: 403-340-7089
Email: [email protected]

Arie Vandermeer
Specializes in fresh and processed meat products, meat analogues, and protein-portion ready meal components.
Email: [email protected]

Craig Bansema
Specializes in confectionery, sauces, condiments, beverages, and ready-to-eat meals.
Email: [email protected]

Haihong Wang
Specializes in fresh and processed meat products and protein-portion ready meal components.
Email: [email protected]

Jay Han
Specializes in dry- and wet-fractionation of plant proteins, extrusion, milling, snack bars, baked products and fresh produce.
Email: [email protected]

Jingqi Yang
Specializes in dry- and wet-fractionation of plant proteins, extrusion, milling, plant-based products, fresh produce, freeze dried products.
Email: [email protected]

Stuart Johnston
Specializes in plant protein functional profiling, dry- and wet-fractionation of plant proteins, beverages, sauces and condiments.
Email: [email protected]

Zeb Pietrasik
Specializes in dairy and egg-based foods, condiments and sauces. 
Email: [email protected]

Business development officers

Flavio Salinas
Email: [email protected]

Janet Henderson
Email: [email protected]

Margurite Thiessen
Email: [email protected]

Farmers’ market specialist

Eileen Kotowich
Email: [email protected]