Food & Beverage Innovation Centre
(FBIC)

Niagara College Canada

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

ABOUT FBIC

The Food & Beverage Innovation Centre Innovation Centre (FBIC) offers recipe and new product development; food and beverage safety and regulatory assistance; laboratory services; sensory analysis and consumer testing; and nutritional labelling services. Our resources include a microbiology lab; chemistry lab; food quality lab; a shelf-life lab; brewery; winery; and commercial kitchens.

FBIC - Image

Beverage product development

Contact FBIC

FBIC Kristine Canniff

Kristine Canniff
Associate Director

+1-905-6412252x4198

kcanniff@niagaracollege.ca

ncinnovation.ca/specializations/food-beverage-innovation-centre

135 Taylor Road, S. S. #4, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0

Services offered in: English

Request Interactive Visit: http://interactivevisits.ca

Follow Us

Share with someone

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION EXPERTISE

EXPERTISE

  1. Lab services, food safety services, product development services and commercialization services include:
  2. Food and beverage product-process development
  3. Nutrition analysis
  4. Shelf-life testing
  5. Pathogen identification
  6. Beverage analysis
  7. QA plan designs
  8. HACCP/GFSI plans
  9. Point validation
  10. Process lethality
  11. Traceability and recall
  12. Education and training
  13. Labelling (regulatory)
  14. Packaging and ingredient sourcing
  15. Co-packing referrals
  16. Competitive analysis
  17. Advertising/marketing plans
  18. International market entry/export
  19. E-commerce
  20. Web design and development
  21. Food and beverage trends analysis, feasibility studies and market research
  22. Sensory analysis and consumer testing

TECHNOLOGY SECTORS

  1. Advanced Manufacturing
  2. Agriculture
  3. Biotechnology
  4. Environmental Technology
  5. Food Innovation
  6. Human Health Therapeutics
  7. Water technology

EQUIPMENT AND LABS

Equipment Function
Microbiology Lab
Biosafety Cabinet; CO2-Incubator; Cryo-centrifuge; Spiral Plater; Colony Counter; Kinetic Microplate Reader Food-safety capabilities, accredited Biosafety Level 2 Microbiology Lab to allow pathogen inoculation in packages (challenge test) to validate food and beverage industry processes;
Real-time PCR; Electrophoresis Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and gel imager for food pathogens’ detection and DNA fingerprint, detection and enumeration of beer and wine spoilage organism, screening for genetically modified organisms (GMO), and species origin confirmation.
Chemistry Lab
U-HPLC; UV-VIS Spectrophotometer; Gas Chromatograph; Automated Titrator; Ultrasonic Bath Full suite of chemical analytical instruments including Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (U-HPLC) and Gas Chromatograph with Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID), determines multiple chemicals (volatile, semi-volatile and non-volatile) used in food and beverages, as well as contaminants or natural components.
Food Quality Lab
FTIR Wine Analyzer; Beer Analyzer; DO Meter; Non-destructive CO2 Laser Detector; Density Meter Beverage analysis equipment: a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) wine analyzer, to provide the full spectrum of wine parameters needed for both QC/QA and regulatory purposes.
Texture Analyzer; Colorimeter; Water Activity Meter; Rheometer; Moisture Analyzer; Viscosity Meter; Refractometer Testing of food quality attributes (consistency, pH, density, Brix, colour, moisture, texture, etc.). Beer analyzer to test key parameters such as alcohol content, CO2 and O2 content, pH, color, haze, and specific gravity.
Shelf-life Lab
Modified Atmosphere Packaging Unit; Bulk Tray Dryer; Walk-in Refrigerator/ Freezer; Freeze-drying Unit; Humidity Chambers; Thermal Validation Equipment Several pieces of equipment for testing varied food industry processes (such as cooking and pasteurization, modified atmosphere effects, etc.).
Niagara College Teaching Brewery
Small-scale functional brewery and 3/4 Acre Research Hops Yard Fully equipped to develop and trial beer and other beverage products.
Niagara College Teaching Winery
Small-scale functional winery and 40 Acre Production and Research Vineyard Fully equipped to develop and trial wine and other fermented products.
Niagara College Culinary Labs
Full-scale commercial kitchens Fully equipped to developed culinary products.
  • Black Angus Fine Meats and Game
  • Cankosh Inc.
  • Colossus of Rhodes
  • Community Living
  • Durham Foods
  • Inniskillin Niagara Estate
  • Jal Gua Inc.
  • Kashruth Council of Canada
  • MADD Virgin Drinks
  • Neob botanical beverages
  • Niagara Food Specialties
  • Nuance Winery Supplies
  • Ontario Craft Brewers Association
  • Ontario Hop Growers’ Association
  • Planet Bean
  • Spirit Tree Estate Cidery
  • Tersano
  • The Smokin’ Buddha
  • Vij’s at Home