Thanks a million: Red River College gets funding for culinary research centre

Red River College is getting more than $1 million in federal funding to create a new space dedicated to culinary research.

The money will go towardthe Advanced Culinary Research Laboratory, where students can cook up solutions to tackle food safety, changing consumer needs and food waste.

"The equipment, the space it's going to be fantastic," said Joel Lamoureux, research manager for the culinary research program at Red River.

The entire project will cost roughly $2.75 million, the school said.

The Winnipeg school is one of 11 colleges and polytechnics across the country to receive funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation announced Wednesday, totalling more than $10 million.

Federal Science Minister Kirsty Duncan announced the awards at the college on Wednesday.

"This really is science and research at work," Duncan said, adding colleges are in a unique position to partner with local business.

"The expertise found on a college campus helps local businesses workshop new ideas, test innovative products and find ways to succeed in today's marketplace. When a local business succeeds thanks to their partnership with a college, everyone wins."

Project to be completed next year

Lamoureux'sstudents already work on creative ideas with local businesses, he says, and the new lab will help expand on that work.

Recent examples include crafting a fermentedmisopaste out of spent grains from local brewers, creating an award-winning all-hemp macaroon and developing a beer-flavoured pretzel in partnership with The Pretzel Place.

Lamoureux says the new space will include a modular kitchen, a demonstration kitchen, photography suites and an analytical and culturing lab to study results.

"For confidentiality, for speed and efficiency, just having that dedicated space will also help," he said.

The lab, which will take up the entire 11th floor of Paterson GlobalFoods Institute in the Exchange District, isexpected to be completed next year.