Prairie Research Kitchen
(PRK)

Red River College Polytechnic

Winnipeg, MB

ABOUT PRK

The Prairie Research Kitchen (PRK) at Red River College Polytechnic, brings together a unique blend of food science and culinary arts to find creative solutions to support Western Canadian food processors and food service providers through research and development, technical services, and training. Working with the PRK gives clients access to valuable in-house resources and the expertise of culinary instructors and researchers as well as students.


Contact PRK

PRK Mavis McRae

Mavis McRae
Director

+1-204-631-3336

mmcrae30@rrc.ca



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RESEARCH AND INNOVATION EXPERTISE

EXPERTISE

  1. Prototype Validation and Optimization
  2. Process Optimization
  3. Ingredient Utilization and Recipe Development
  4. Food Styling and Photography

Previous Research Projects:

  • Bump - The Manitoba-based company worked with the PRK to create a 70-30 ground beef/plant-based protein blend. The product is geared for "flexitarians" - those who want to incorporate more plant-based protein, without fully elminating meat from their diet. Full story
  • Winnipeg Harvest - A partnership between the Prairie Research Kitchen and Winnipeg Harvest, helped distribute 3,000 nutritious Hamper Healthy™ soups to vulnerable Manitobans. Students from RRC’s Culinary Arts program worked alongside PRK’s research team to create the dehydrated mixes in summer 2020. Full story
  • Prairie Fava is a Manitoba-based company that has developed new applications for fava beans. Fava flour can be added to food products to increase fibre, protein and overall nutrition content. The company first worked with the PRK to develop a fava flour crouton. Full story
  • Spent Grain Miso - In partnership with two brewers, Torque Brewing and Farmery, the Red River College Culinary Research Program explored the possibility of spent grains to create Miso, a traditional fermented bean or grain paste. Full story
  • The Prairie Plant Protein Project - The Prairie Research Kitchen collaborated with the University of Manitoba’s Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, as well as the Food Development Centre — in partnership with funding from the Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers and Canadian Agricultural Partnerships — to build new, innovative ingredients and products using prairie plant protein sources like dry beans, soybeans and hemp in the project: Development of value-added food platform technologies using plant-based protein sources including bean, soy and hemp. The research led to novel applications of hemp, pulses, and soybeans and concluded with the development of a cookbook entitled: Pulse of the Prairies: A Culinary Celebration of Manitoba’s Plant Proteins. Learn more

TECHNOLOGY SECTORS

  1. Agriculture
  2. Food Innovation

EQUIPMENT AND LABS

Equipment Function
Modern, beautiful R&D facility housed at the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute
Demonstration kitchen with chef table sit-up bar
Food quality laboratory equipped with common analytical equipment
Food styling lab with backdrops, lights, video and photography editing software
Centrifuge
Rotary Evaporator
Sonifier
Blast Freezer
Smoking Equipment
Programmable Curing Chambers for charcuterie and fermentation projects
Food Service and Household Cooking equipment
Pasta Extruder
Rationale Combi-ovens
Merry Chef Oven
Vak Pak with modified atmosphere capabilities
3-D Food Printer
Planetary Ball Mill (PM 100 CM)
Texture Analyzer (CT3) with multiple probes and bases. Load Cell Range: 4.5kg or 4500g.
Color Reader (CR-10 Plus)
Sausage Stuffer
Tortilla Press
Sesame/Peanut Butter grinding mill 50-700kg/h Fineness: 10-50um(Adjustable)
Magic Lab Colloid/Cone Mill (MK/MKO). In-line fine milling, Flow rate: approx. 200 ltr/h, Speed range: 3.000 - 26.000 min-1, Standard speed 16.000 min-1. Especially suitable for producing colloidal solutions, extremely fine emulsions and suspensions and high-viscosity products.
Stack sifter. Sieve size from 25-600 microns.
Dehydrator. Total tray area: Total trays: 24 (67 cm x 67 cm) trays, Temperature Range: Ambient-90°C.