A new online tool launches for B.C.’s food sector
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Food In Canada Business Operations Packaging Processing Bake & Snack Food Beverages Confectionery Dairy Fruit & Vegetables Ingredients & Additives Meat &Poultry Pet Food Seafood Specialty Foods BC Food Processors Association co-packersFood and beverage processors in B.C. have a new online tool – BC Food Connection – to connect them with co-packers and commercial kitchens to help them grow their businesses
Langley, B.C. – A new online tool, which launched on April 3, promises to help food and beverage processors in B.C.
In a statement, the BC Food Processors Association (BCFPA) and the Small Scale Food Processor Association, which is based in Nanaimo, B.C., have launched a business development tool called BC Food Connection.
The tool, say the associations, will help “new and expanding B.C. food and beverage processors to locate manufacturing services with co-packers, commercial kitchens, and other complementary facilities.”
Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, also supported the creation of BC Food Connection.
Lana Popham, B.C.’s Agriculture minister, says in the statement that the tool is about “making connections” and she encouraged the sector to make use of it.
She adds that the B.C government “is committed to supporting the value-added food processing sector as part of our larger Grow BC, Feed BC, Buy BC mandate priorities, in order to develop our domestic food system and generate economic activity and revenue in communities throughout our province.”
The BCFPA says it often had food and beverage companies calling to ask about how to scale their business, says James Donaldson, the association’s CEO. The need to scale up, he adds “presents a great business opportunity for companies willing to co-pack that aren’t running at full capacity.”
The tool will help those businesses find each other.
Food and beverage companies can access BC Food Connection through both association websites (www.bcfpa.ca and www.ssfpa.net). Users can also connect to it through the BC Ministry of Agriculture website.
The statement says the tool offers “an easy-to-use, drop-down menu will guide users through the tool, helping them to identify the type of product, preferred packaging, minimum volumes and food safety requirements.”
To be entered into the database, co-packing and related companies can enter their details at www.bcfoodconnection.ca. Or contact either association.
Images from the BC Food Connection homepage
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