Page 11 - INSIGHT MAGAZINE_October 2024

This announcement was attended by Conestoga community
members and representatives of the federal and provincial
governments, including: Rob Flack, Minister of Agriculture,
Food and Agribusiness; Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of
Agriculture and Agri-Food; MPP Ernie Hardeman, Oxford; MP
Bryan May, Cambridge; MP Tim Louis, Kitchener-Conestoga; MP
Valerie Bradford, Kitchener South-Hespeler; and MP Bardish
Chagger, Waterloo.
Applications for the initiative opened Aug. 21. For more
information about OMAFA programs and services, contact the
Conestoga College Photo: Officials gathered at Conestoga's Food Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or by
Research & Innovation Lab on August 7 to announce funding for email at ag.info.omafa@ontario.ca.
small agri-food businesses.
“This investment in technology and equipment upgrades will Opened in 2011 at the Cambridge - Fountain Street campus,
help folks prevent and quickly address food safety risks and Conestoga's Institute of Food Processing Technology meets
keep their operations on the cutting edge.” the needs of the food and beverage manufacturing industry
by providing education, training, research and technical
Funding will be provided to eligible food processors, producers, expertise.
and service providers to improve food safety systems, adopt
new food safety and traceability equipment, technologies Within the institute is the Conestoga Food Research &
and standards and provide related training to employees. The Innovation Lab, supporting the needs of start-ups and small-
funding will also enable operators to respond to market and and medium-sized businesses in the food and culinary sector
consumer demands and grow their business. with innovative solutions to the product development cycle,
including formula development, shelf-life studies, packaging
“Our government is committed to working with smaller testing and scale-up.
businesses in Ontario’s agriculture and food industry to
help them ensure food safety so they can increase sales and
expand,” said Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food
and Agribusiness.
“Investments through the Food Safety and Growth Initiative
will allow smaller food businesses to improve their operations
so they can grow and compete in Ontario and outside our
borders.”

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