FEATURE
Report showcases Canada’s natural and functional food
INNOVATORS AND INVESTORS
By Jana Manolakos Brewery owner Ted Fleming
by Crohn’s Disease, Ted Fleming turned to drinking non-alcoholic beer, a beverage that was less irritating for his intestines. The problem was that most non-alcoholic beers lacked flavour and variety, so he grabbed the bull by the horns and began to brew his own, launching Partake Brewing in 2017. Since then, his Calgary-based operation has grown into an award-winning producer of non-alcoholic beers that offer taste and low-calorie profiles (10 to 30 calories per can). Partake is one of several startup and early stage companies featured in a new report by Natural Product Canada (NPC), an active investor and innovation cluster. The report, titled “Game Changers”, identifies companies, products and investors that NPC expects will have a major impact on Canadian functional food, nutrition and natural health products. “The Game Changers report shows the breadth of innovation and investment activity that is happening in Canada. It reflects the quality and diversity of players that are involved in this growing area of Canada’s economy,” says Shelley King, CEO of NPC. The report features investment and acquisition activities over a 24-month period in Canada, as well as insights into some of the unique characteristics of the Canadian natural nutrition landscape, such as the legalization of cannabis, and the exceptional standards for quality product development. King suggests that Canadian businesses can benefit from the report’s bird’s-eye view of
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