thinking appetite for innovation

By Rebecca Harris

TECHNOLOGY IS taking over the dinner table, and it’s not about the kids being distracted by cellphones. As the global population rises (it could reach nearly 10 billion people by 2050) and pressure on the Earth’s resources grows, food-tech innovation is becoming more abundant. In Canada and globally, food-tech companies are developing new products, improving processing and extending the shelf life of food to help solve the world’s sustainability challenges. For those working in the sector, these are exciting times indeed.

“It’s a golden age of food science and technology,” says Dana McCauley, chief experience officer at Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) . “We’re in a new industrial revolution and my prediction is that 100 years from now, this time will be viewed as an important milestone.”

For McCauley, part of what’s driving food-tech innovation are today’s digital natives who grew up with the internet and have great business ideas, an understanding of technology’s potential, and a wellspring of creativity. “The maturity and