Articles

Biotech is quietly rewriting the future of food. 

Not in some vague, distant way, but in ways that are already changing the food we eat—and how that food is produced. “Bio-foodtech” is leveraging the laboratory to make food healthier and more sustainable: Think natural preservatives made from mushrooms instead of synthetic chemicals. Omega-3 sourced from algae instead of overfished oceans. Plant-derived proteins that function like egg whites—neither chicken nor egg need come first. 

This stuff is no longer the realm of science fiction. And with an impressive pool of bio-foodtech innovators, Canada has a real opportunity at being a global leader in a rapidly growing space. But science alone won’t get us there. The real challenge lies in scaling our breakthrough bio-foodtech research into market-ready, investment-worthy, and commercially viable solutions. 

So, where is Canada ahead of the bio-foodtech game, and where are we falling behind? 

Where Canada is Winning 

World-Class Bio-Foodtech Innovators 

Canada’s food science expertise has been strong for years, helping to build a pipeline of biotech-driven solutions that the food industry is now adopting. For example, Mara Renewables has made algae a commercially viable source of DHA-rich omega-3, giving manufacturers a stable, sustainable functional food ingredient that doesn’t rely on overstressed fisheries. 

Elsewhere, Chinova Bioworks is using mushroom fibre to replace synthetic preservatives, meeting demand for clean-label solutions without compromising shelf life. These are just two of the many Canadian innovators whose bio-foodtech breakthroughs are already solving real industry problems. 

 
Strong Government Backing 

Through recent initiatives like the $2.2 billion Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy, the Government of Canada is making strategic investments in bio-foodtech and playing a crucial role in helping startups transition from R&D to commercialization. 

This matters, because taking a bio-foodtech product from the lab to full-scale production isn’t like launching a new software app. It requires much more physical infrastructure and time to achieve profitability, making government support an essential ingredient for long-term success. 

Where Canada Needs to Step Up 

Regulatory Timelines Are Slowing Us Down 

While government funding for early-stage foodtech innovation is strong, biotech ingredients often face an 18-24 month approval process in Canada—longer than in many competing markets. A more efficient regulatory pathway could accelerate commercialization without diminishing Canada’s exceptional global standing as a leader in food safety. 

If we want to lead in bio-foodtech, we need a regulatory system that keeps pace with innovation, not one that lags behind it. 

Scaling Infrastructure is Lacking 

Canada has terrific bio-foodtech research capabilities, but when it comes to scaling, we’re missing a crucial piece of the puzzle: mid-scale biomanufacturing capacity. 

Startups often struggle to transition from lab-scale production to full-scale commercialization. Unlike in the U.S. or Europe, there aren’t enough pilot facilities or bioreactors here to support that critical middle stage of growth. Without it, promising innovations risk stalling before they ever reach the market.