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LOYALIST COLLEGE AND ENTOMO FARMS EXTEND APPLIED RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP

May 11, 2018

Belleville, Ontario, May 11, 2018 – Loyalist College’s Applied Research Centre for Natural Products and Medical Cannabis (ARC) has extended its applied research project with Entomo Farms, funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), for another year.

For the past 12 months, the ARC has collaborated with Entomo Farms through an Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and NSERC grant to determine optimal storage and a ‘best before’ date of 12 months for their cricket powder product. Throughout the year-long study, the powder did not show any significant signs of deterioration. As a result, the ARC will conduct another year of analyses in order to gather additional data. 

This project will provide further recommendations for storage and a more accurate ‘best before’ date, which Entomo Farms requires in order to effectively distribute their cricket powder nationally and internationally. It aims to validate Entomo Farms’ scientific methods while illustrating the environmental, social and nutritional benefits of insect farming and support the adoption of insect protein for human, pet and livestock diets. Entomo Farms intends to transfer the knowledge gathered from this project to their other powder products.

Quotes:
“Entomo Farms is changing the way people think about insects as protein and nutrient-rich food sources, which have the potential to improve global food security while preserving biodiversity. Their products continue to present our ARC with innovative research opportunities through which students and faculty test powder quality and preservation. As eating insects is still a relatively novel concept, the findings of this project will be particularly important in informing society’s approval and adoption.” – Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan, Loyalist College President & CEO

“The groundbreaking and pioneering research we are conducting in partnership with Loyalist is helping to establish empirical evidenced based frameworks for understanding elements of insect foods, specifically cricket powder performance, characteristics and functionality. It is creating confidence and normalizing this emerging food category. We are excited and look forward to many more collaborative projects in the future.” – Dr. Jarrod Goldin, President of Entomo Farms

About NSERC
NSERC invests over $1.2 billion each year in natural sciences and engineering research in Canada. Our investments deliver discoveries—valuable world-firsts in knowledge claimed by a brain trust of over 11,000 professors. Our investments enable partnerships and collaborations that connect industry with discoveries and the people behind them. Researcher-industry partnerships established by NSERC help inform research and development and solve scale-up challenges.

NSERC also provides scholarships and hands-on training experience for more than 30,000 post-secondary students and post-doctoral fellows. These young researchers will be the next generation of science and engineering leaders in Canada.

About Loyalist College’s Applied Research and Innovation Department
Through Loyalist’s Applied Research and Innovation Department, the College collaborates with industry partners in various fields on applied research projects, creating amazing learning experiences for students and faculty of all disciplines. The College has had success with funding support through the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) on a variety of projects. Having access to funding support allows Loyalist to increase capacity to work with local industries and businesses, support faculty who are committed to conducting research and to facilitating student research experiences. It has increased the capacity of Ontario industries to conduct applied research and attract new investors, stimulating innovative product development and job creation in our region.

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About Loyalist College
Located on more than 200 acres in the beautiful Bay of Quinte region, Loyalist College is a close-knit community where students and their success come first. Loyalist provides personalized attention in small classes, rewarding field placements and superior student services. To prepare students for in-demand careers, Loyalist offers more than 65 full-time programs; apprenticeships; and hundreds of online, distance and in-class courses, as well as opportunities for continuing education through more than 70 university transfer agreements. The College’s wide selection of advanced diplomas, diplomas and certificates aligns with market-driven disciplines including applied sciences, biosciences, building sciences, business and management studies, health sciences, human studies, justice studies, media, arts and design, and skills and technology. In Ontario, the College’s new Digital Media Centre and The Bay of Quinte Skills Centre, which is LEED® Silver certified, are training centres of choice for students, as well as College business and industry partners. The College is a key driver of the social and economic health and prosperity of the area and contributes 5.4 percent to the Gross Regional Product. This represents an overall effect on the regional economy of $530 million annually – based on a 2014 Report by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI). For more information on the College’s Belleville and Bancroft campuses and Port Hope satellite location, visit loyalistcollege.com.

Contact: Kerry Lorimer, Director, Marketing, Communications and Recruitment
Loyalist College, klorimer@loyalistcollege.com, 613-969-1913 ext. 2536

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