Organic juice manufacturer reaps the benefits of investment

Mississauga, Ont. – Greenhouse Juice Co. is growing, and with the help of the federal government the manufacturer will be purchasing new equipment for its new facility.

In a statement, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced it is investing up to $6.3 million to help Greenhouse Juice purchase “new-to-Canada, cold pasteurization technologies to help increase the shelf life of [the company’s] organic juices, while maintaining the nutrition and freshness of its products.”

The repayable investment is being made through the Growing Forward 2 AgriInnovation Program, a five-year, up to $698-million-initiative, says the statement.

Navdeep Bains, the minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and member of Parliament for Mississauga-Malton; and Lawrence MacAuley, minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food; made the investment announcement together.

“The expansion here in Mississauga is great news for Ontario, and our government is committed to making investments in innovative businesses that help create jobs and grow the economy,” Bains in the statement.

“This technology represents a new way forward in Canadian food processing that will help bring fresh, high quality products to consumers and new jobs to Mississauga.”

The investment is a win-win for several parties. The statement says it will enable “Greenhouse Juice to expand into [its] new Mississauga facility, generating hundreds of job opportunities in the region. With the facility expansion and the adoption of the cold-pasteurization technology, Greenhouse Juice will purchase significantly more Canadian-grown fruits and vegetables, and produce juice for both Canadian and international markets.”

The company started in Toronto in 2014 and manufactures cold-pressed juices. The company’s website explains that they “use hydraulic pressure to extract juice” from the ingredients “while minimizing heat and oxygen, for a nutrient-dense product with enzymatic activity intact.”

Juice is made in small batches without the use of preservatives, additives, pasteurization or high- pressure processing. The company says it uses 100 per cent certified organic produce that is GMO-free and grown without chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. All the produce comes from local farms, and, the company says, it prioritizes the “less-loved, misshapen vegetables and fruits.”

Today the company manufacturers “enough juice for [its] 12 company-owned shops.”

Anthony Green, co-founder and CEO of Greenhouse Juice, says in the statement that his team “could not be more grateful” for the support from the government.

“The AgriInnovation Program is making it possible for us to integrate innovative technologies from Canada and around the world to create a novel process that will allow us to grow without in any way compromising the quality or sustainability of our products.” says Green.

“In so doing we will create hundreds of new jobs; increase the amount of organic, local produce we purchase by 10 fold over the next four years; and follow through on our mission of contributing to a healthier nation.”