Canada has long established itself as a global leader in high-quality fish and seafood products and since 1915 the Fisheries Council of Canada (previously known as Canadian Fisheries Association) has been advocating for Canada’s seafood industry and establishing its trusted reputation. The Canadian seafood industry is diverse in geography, harvest type and size of companies with 90,000 of Canadians earning their living directly from the seafood sector.
In an effort to support emerging leaders in the Canadian seafood industry, the Fisheries Council of Canada established their Future Leaders of Canada, curriculum-based program in 2019. Its goal is to develop these leaders through networking, programming and unique experiences along the supply chain.
During CFIN’s 2023 Foodtech Next event, Sharon Leslie, Executive Assistant, Office and Conference Coordinator of the Fisheries Council of Canada, connected with Julie Daigle, CFIN’s Regional Innovation Director (Quebec).
The team was planning their next Future of Leaders of Canada tour and was looking for an innovative company to visit in Montreal. Julie immediately thought of Innodal, a biotechnology company that produces antimicrobials for various sectors, offering innovative solutions to inhibit microbiological pathogens.
“With our Future of Leaders program, we like to ensure our participants get immersed in the emerging technology happening within the seafood industry,” said Sharon Leslie, Fisheries Council of Canada. “After meeting Julie and hearing about Innodal, we knew it would be the perfect experience and an excellent addition to our program.”
Innodal’s work within the seafood sector has been identified as “disruptive technology”. Their goal is to play a part in maintaining trust between the consumer and food processor by preventing costly microbiological recalls. The Quebec foodtech company is quickly becoming a leader in natural antimicrobials by developing disinfectant applications by precisely eliminating problematic pathogens. Their first application was in the field of bioconservation, offering preservatives to replace traditional chemical ones like salts, nitrites and sulfites. These natural agents inhibit and protects foods against pathogenic strains such as Listeria, E. coli and Salmonella.
Julie introduced Sharon and Paul Lansbergen, President of the Fisheries Council of Canada, to Laurent Dallaire, Innodal CEO and a visit was scheduled in May bringing 12 future leaders to Innodal’s production site in Longueuil, Quebec. The day included a meet and great with the Innodal team and a tour of their production site and lab.