How do I grow my food business?
The key to growth is continuous innovation. The food and beverage sector has always been dynamic, with rapidly changing market demands and significant competition. The COVID-19 pandemic created further challenges by disrupting supply chains and accelerating changes in consumer behaviour. The most successful companies regularly analyze the market to meet ever-changing consumer demands.
Growing your food business may include diversifying your product lines, developing co-products, adding value to existing products to distinguish them from competitors’ products or scaling up production.
Make Manitoba Agriculture your first point of contact for help as you build your future in food. Business development specialists offer consulting, pathfinding and training that will help you start, manage and grow your food business. Get connected today at mbagrifood@gov.mb.ca.
Product and Process Development
As you grow your business, you will need to continuously adapt to changing circumstances, especially around consumer preferences, sustainability requirements, technological innovations and supply chain disruptions. Your product development and processing requirements will change as you increase capacity or introduce new processes and product lines.
Identify the critical factors that will contribute to your business's growth, such as, improving your operational processes, increasing your profitability or implementing a sustainability plan to maintain a competitive edge.
Product Development and Processing Requirements
Changes in consumer preferences, technological innovations, labour market shortages and supply chain disruptions will present your business with both challenges and opportunities. Look for new innovations that can boost your productivity, such as outsourcing production to a contracted co-packer.
- Using a Contract Manufacturer or Co-Packer
- Manitoba Co-Packer Services Finder App
- Renting Out Your Commercial Kitchen - Things to Consider
- Food Development Centre - Manitoba Agriculture
- Prairie Research Kitchen at RRC Polytech
- Richardson Centre for Food Technology and Research, University of Manitoba
Food Safety and Certifications
The food supply chain is complex and involves many stakeholders, including farmers, processors, retailers and consumers. Today's consumers want to know where their food comes from and how it's made. Transparency, sustainability and safety are key drivers of food trends.
If you will export your product, whether inter-provincially or internationally, you will likely need to follow the Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) regulations. To get an SFC license, you will need to apply to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) with documentation on your process and an explanation of your food safety control points.
Food certifications are issued by third party companies to verify that a product, processing method or food safety system meets a specific standard. Certain certifications may be necessary to enter certain markets, or they may give you a strategic advantage to increase business opportunities.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a growing trend in the food and beverage industry. Consumers want to know that their food is being produced and processed ethically and sustainably. There is an increasing demand that food companies take action to reduce their impact on climate and waste. A sustainable approach to business balances environmental, social and governance objectives.
- Sustainability 101 - What it Means to Your Food Business
- Canada's National Index on Agri-Food Performance
- Sustainability Initiatives in the Agri-food Supply Chain
- Sustainability Certification Bodies
- Sustainability in Manitoba's Protein Industry
- The Sustainability Conviction. The Future of Food: A Canadian Perspective
- A Transformation in Progress - a BDC Survey on How Canadian Entrepreneurs are Taking on the Environmental Challenge
- B Impact Assessment - a free B-Corp assessment tool
- Sustainable Agri-Processing Program - Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership
- Manitoba Agriculture By-Product Directory
