NEWS RELEASE
GUELPH ONTARIO – Collaboration between Canada’s oilseed industry and an educational institution is helping grow new markets for green, made-in-Canada lubricant products.
Oilseed Innovation Partners (OIP) teamed up with the Craig Richardson Institute of Food Processing Technology (IFPT) at Conestoga College’s Cambridge ON campus to support the development and testing of a new Canadian plant-based industrial multi-purpose lubricant approved for food manufacturing uses.
“This partnership with the IFPT shows the importance of collaboration between industry and academia – and with the support of government – and how by working together, we can collectively help develop new opportunities for Canadian oilseed producers,” says OIP CEO Jeff Schmalz. “OIP values and builds partnerships wherever possible to help advance our sector, our clients’ businesses and the Canadian economy.”
Smart Earth Performance FG, a new biolubricant made from Canadian oilseeds, was tested at IFPT for use on a variety of food processing equipment and in a variety of food processing environments as part of the product development process.
IFPT also assisted in the testing of the lubricant’s container, which uses unique “Bag-on-valve” technology featuring an accurate, even spraying pattern of up to 60 cm even when used upside down.
The lubricant is housed inside a pressurized refillable can, eliminating the need for a propellant in the lubricant.
A new video shot at the facility and available at http://oilseedinnovationpartners.ca/videos, helps illustrate food environment uses of the green lubricant.
“For us, working with Oilseed Innovation Partners and IFPT has been fundamental in helping create our product and bring it to market,” says Smart Earth Founder and CEO Jack Grushcow, President of Linnaeus Plant Sciences Inc. “The types of collaborations initiated and nurtured by OIP have been invaluable to the development and growth of Canadian-made biolubricants.”
The IFPT, with support from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and FedDev Ontario, opened in 2011 with a state of the art food processing pilot plant in response to industry needs for highly skilled workers. Today, the institute also works directly with companies and with organizations like OIP on specific projects to resolve production issues, and test and validate new technologies.
“Partnering with industry organizations like OIP is very valuable to us – it helps us help industry develop solutions, evolve and innovate,” says IFPT Chair Luis Garcia. “Collaborations support our goal of working with industry to boost competitiveness and innovation in the sector.”
Oilseed Innovation Partners creates new opportunities for Canadian oilseeds. The organization is funded by Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.
For more information:
Jeff Schmalz, CEO, Oilseed Innovation Partners 519-826-6559 or jschmalz@oipartners.ca
