Natural Products Canada (NPC) is playing a crucial role in assisting three food-related companies in overcoming obstacles to commercialization. Among the recipients of NPC's strategic Commercialization Program are New School Foods, the University of Alberta, and Natures Crops, along with seven other innovators. These recipients showcase a diverse range of sustainable bio-based solutions developed by start-ups and universities across Canada. NPC's Program provides support for activities totaling over $3 million, encompassing regulatory planning and field trials. As an organization dedicated to bio-based innovation, NPC places particular emphasis on technologies that have a biological component. Shelley King, CEO of Natural Products Canada, expresses admiration for the inspiring innovators the organization collaborates with daily. These solutions have the potential to tackle various challenges, from safeguarding bee populations and ensuring sufficient food production by farmers to reducing landfill waste. One of the recipients, Natures Crops International, based in Prince Edward Island, focuses on supplying proprietary plant-derived ingredients for the global nutritional and personal care industry. Operating under a closed-loop model, Natures Crops develops, cultivates, and processes specialized oilseed crops to create high-value ingredients. With NPC's funding, the company aims to conduct research on the upcycling potential of its primary product's waste stream, transforming it into a value-added industrial ingredient. Another recipient, New School Foods from Ontario, has pioneered a patented food structuring technology capable of producing whole-cut meat alternatives. Their flagship product is a fillet of salmon that mimics the appearance, texture, flavor, and nutritional profile of conventional salmon. By utilizing the program funds, New School Foods intends to hire a lead food materials scientist to spearhead the design of a food science R&D and product development platform. The University of Alberta, the third recipient, plans to utilize the program funds to evaluate the performance data, economics, and scale-up potential of a thermally reversible gel made from pea protein. This innovative gel can be used to enhance food texture (such as in yogurts and jellies) or to encapsulate bioactive ingredients (like in gummies). These applications create additional opportunities for the upcycled food to penetrate vegetarian, halal, and kosher food markets. Natural Products Canada's Commercialization Programs, supported by the Government of Canada's Strategic Innovation Fund, are specifically designed to address the challenges faced by early-stage bio-based technologies. The programs assist these technologies in validating their efficacy at an industrial scale, augmenting their teams with critical expertise, and addressing key gaps in their business plans. The highly competitive programs offer funding of up to $250,000, with each applicant required to present a compelling case for their innovation and articulate how the program funds will address their key challenge. Shelley King emphasizes that the NPC team provides valuable advice and guidance to ensure that applicants utilize their time and resources effectively. Companies often credit the NPC team's insights for making their project plans more strategic and impactful. Moreover, the close collaboration with applicants often leads to opportunities in other areas of NPC's service portfolio, such as introductions to strategic partners or invitations to participate in key events. King highlights that NPC employs a range of tools to advance promising innovations. By combining their programs with the team's insights and connections, NPC acts as a powerful catalyst for companies. The organization takes pride in supporting Canada's bio-based innovation ecosystem in this impactful manner.