Canada's Smartest Kitchen (CSK) is expanding its international partnerships to help Canadian food companies. CSK partnered with Fitorex Ltd., a Hungarian sprouting R&D company, to help them bring their sprouted soybean products to Canada through market research and industry expertise. CSK also partnered with Het Foodatelier in the Netherlands to bring their innovative processing and packaging solutions to Atlantic Canadian processors. These partnerships will help Canadian companies access cutting-edge global food innovations and new market opportunities through CSK's expertise navigating foreign markets and regulations. CSK's goal is to make Atlantic Canadian food companies competitive leaders in the global marketplace.

1. Canada's Smartest
Kitchen Goes Global
Canada’s Smartest Kitchen has new international
friends, and they’re bringing them to Atlantic Canada. For the
uninitiated, Canada’s Smartest Kitchen (CSK) is a leader in food
product development and innovation happening in Atlantic
Canada, across the nation, and internationally. Located on the
beautiful Charlottetown waterfront in Prince Edward Island,
and operating as the research and development arm of The
Culinary Institute of Canada, CSK employs a team of highly
skilled product developers with a wide range of specialties
from seafood to confectioneries, as well as a team of marketing
specialists who understand the competitive landscape of
today’s food products.
When it comes to producing and launching innovative food
products in a foreign country, homeland expertise is required
for optimized results and highest return on investment. This
type of market understanding is critical under the Canada-Eu-
ropean Union Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement
(CETA), signed in 2014 after years of drawn-out negotiations
between the regions. The Canada-EU trade agreement is
expected to eliminate tariffs on almost all agriculture, seafood
and industrial products with an estimated $1.5B in agrifood
related trade. Under this agreement, Canadian & European
Union companies have been granted open access to each other
and the services they supply. So when Fitorex Ltd., a Hungari-
an sprouting R&D facility, aspired to bring their sprouted
soybean technology to Canada, it was Canada’s Smartest
Kitchen they reached out to in order to facilitate their success-
ful entrance through a means of detailed market research,
product concept formulation, and industry experience. Fitorex
Ltd. has an invested interest in Canada’s food marketplace, but
the company will face everything from regulatory challenges to
differences in consumer preferences upon entering this new
market. Being able to expertly navigate the market landscape is
key to a product’s success, and through CSK’s new partnership
with Fitorex Ltd., Canadians will soon be able to enjoy a range
of heat & serve side dishes made with nutrient dense sprouted
seeds and grains, a cutting edge health trend in food today.
Fitorex Ltd. is not Canada Smartest Kitchen’s only interna-
tional partner making moves into Canada. Joris Leferink,
Marketing Manager with Het Foodatelier and DeDutch in the
Netherlands, has been spending more time on Prince Edward
Island in recent months. His organization’s specialty lies in
innovative processing and packaging, which Atlantic Canadian
processors will be able to use to their benefit. “Many people
can make products, there are only few who can find innovative
solutions” says Mr. Leferink. European food innovation is years
ahead of the rest of the world, and CSK is keen on bringing
this innovation to those clients who would profit most, such as
those in the lobster and fisheries industries. Together, this new
partnership is one that marks a move in the right direction for
Atlantic Canadian food processors, packagers, and consumers,
as they will have the ability to interact on a strategic level with
game-changing, innovative pioneers in the industry previously
out of reach from Canadians. Het Foodatelier will also offer
consultation and insight into European markets for those
Canadian clients who are seeking overseas opportunities for
their products and they will be working alongside CSK to
provide this service.
By solidifying new partnerships, Peter Crooks, Executive
Director at CSK, firmly believes there are many opportunities
for his Atlantic Canadian clients to benefit from the CETA. Mr.
Crooks has been a guest judge and moderator at the European
Food Venture Forum in Aarhus, Denmark, and has participated
in several European trade missions. “Act locally, think globally”
he says of his approach. “We are building the foundation for a
bridge between the EU and Canada that not only allows for the
import and export of finished food products ready for market,
but also facilitates the transfer of knowledge and innovation.”
Canada’s Smartest Kitchen’s goal is to enable Atlantic Canadian
companies to become competitive, highly adaptable and
innovative leaders in the global food marketplace.
(902) 566-9373
www.canadassmartestkitchen.ca