Facilities and Technology

Facilities

Paterson GlobalFoods Institute

Located in Winnipeg’s historic Exchange District, Paterson GlobalFoods Institute (PGI) is home to the Prairie Research Kitchen and to RRC Polytech’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts. In this state-of-the-art teaching facility, students acquire skills in professional baking and patisserie, hotel and restaurant management, and professional culinary arts.

Prairie Research Kitchen’s proximity to the School allows for quick and efficient collaboration with instructors and convenient access for student employees.

Prairie Research Kitchen

Opened in 2019 and located on the 11th floor of the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, the Prairie Research Kitchen is a collaborative space for companies that partner with the Prairie Research Kitchen on applied research projects to work side-by-side with RRC Polytech researchers, chefs and students.

With a total floor space of 4600 sq ft including 2300 sq ft of lab space, the Prairie Research Kitchen features modular spaces to accommodate project-specific equipment as needed. The facilities come fully-equipped with everything you need to advance your food product or service to the next stage of the food development process, including:

Demonstration Kitchen

Prairie Research Kitchen’s demonstration kitchen, with its sit up bar overlooking the kitchen, is ideal to run ideation sessions with clients, researchers and instructors or showcase new products to buyers.

Food Quality Lab

Our food quality lab offers the perfect structure to analyze the quality and safety of new culinary products and ingredients.

Research and Development Kitchen

The research and development kitchen is great for exploring the potential of new equipment and techniques such as fermentation, culturing, and charcuterie.

Food Styling Studio

Ideal for food photography, our food styling studio is equipped with cameras, backdrops and lights, as well as video and photography editing software.

Other RRC Polytech Facilities

Through Prairie Research Kitchen, you can access a full-service applied research team. We can partner with other RRC Polytech departments to leverage all resources to better serve local companies, examples of equipment that can be used for our clients’ projects include:

• Fermentation equipment – Cultivation of microorganisms or cells in a controlled environment
• Electrophoresis chamber: Separating and analyzing protein and DNA based on their size, charge, or other physical property 
• Tissue culture – The in vitro culture and aseptic manipulation of animal and plant cells and tissues using a CO2 incubator and Level 2 Biological Safety Cabinet.
• HPLC with Refractive Index Detector:  Conduct ingredient authenticity and purity of sweeteners and carbohydrate-based ingredients, as well as to analyze sugar/carbohydrate/organic acid content in beverages, dairy products, and bakery items.
• HPLC with UV-Vis Detector (Ultraviolet-Visible Detector): Conduct nutrient analysis for UV-absorbing compounds in food and pharmaceutical products, quantify certain preservatives and additives, and support shelf-life studies by monitoring the degradation of bioactive compounds over time. Determination of phenolics, Vitamins, and other organic components in complex biological/chemical samples.  Confirm the label claim using USP protocols.
• Spectrophotometer UV-1600PC: Conduct and quantity pigment analysis, assess the clarity of beverages and liquid food products, conduct enzyme activity assays, and analyze specific metallic ions and anions in water samples.
• FT-IR / NIR Spectrometer: Conduct identification test, quality control, and formulation analysis. Detection of contaminants in food and pharmaceuticals.
• Gas Chromatograph with Headspace Sampler: conduct aroma profile analysis, residual solvent analysis, and fermentation monitoring.
• Gas Chromatograph with Automatic Liquid Sampler: Conduct fatty acid profiling, flavour compound analysis, detect pesticide residues in food products, and detection of PAH in samples.
• Gas Chromatograph with Mass Spec Detector (GC-MS): Conduct a more comprehensive flavour and aroma profiling, trace contaminant detection, and analyze bioactive compounds.
• Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS): Conduct mineral content analysis and heavy metal testing.
• ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma-optical emission spectroscopy): Conduct trace mineral analysis and heavy metal detection in different samples including food ingredients.

From throughout the College, we can connect you with skills in manufacturing, IT, marketing, graphic design and have partnerships with incubators, investors, business leaders and government.

Technology

The Prairie Research Kitchen serves Western Canada’s vibrant food production industries state-of-the-art technology. Leading edge equipment and food preparation techniques are available for clients to be used in partnership with our team of expert chefs, researchers, instructors, and students.

• Centrifuge: Use separation technology to develop value-added ingredients and food products.
• Rotary Evaporator: Create value-added ingredients or bioactive extracts for novel food applications.
• Sonifier: Emulsify ingredients in foods and test ingredient functionality.
• Blast Freezer: Prolong quality during frozen storage with fast, deep freezing.
• Smoking Equipment: Increase flavour and food preservation through a controlled smoking process.
• Curing Chamber: Develop customized charcuterie products and fermented foods in a controlled environment.
• Food Service Equipment: Replicate food service processes at a reduced scale to determine application feasibility.
• Analytical Equipment: Define food quality targets using microscopy, instrumental texture and colour analysis.
• Pasta Extruder: Develop new fresh and dried pasta and noodle products using novel ingredients.
• Rationale Combi-oven: Replicate a multitude of food processing thermal applications from dehydrating to steaming.
• Colloid Mill: Reduce solid particles and provide even dispersal in pastes and spreads.
• Chamber Vacuum Sealer: Food packaging and preservation with modified atmosphere packaging capabilities for increased shelf life and sous vide processing.
• Doughpro Tortilla Press: Press doughs consistently and evenly with dual heated plates.
• Dehydrator (113 Ft² Capacity): Use dehydration methods to preserve foods and create shelf stable ready to eat products.
• Media Mill: Achieve fine particle size reduction of raw materials for high-value nutrient separation or sample analysis preparation.
• Diafiltration: Size separation of food micro- and macro-nutrients using filtration techniques.
• Peanut butter mill: mainly used for producing butter or spreads from oilseeds including peanuts and sesame seeds.
• A pilot-plant size line for the manufacturing of salsas, sauces, and soups which includes: a 150 L Mixing steam kettle, a twin screw pumps, a shear pump, an air compressor, and piston filler