A Quebec tofu-maker has received a $400,000 federal loan to help automate its organic tofu production facility.
“By increasing our production capacity, we have been able to supply many more distributors, who are fond of our high‑quality product,” said Dany Deshaies, CEO of Sherbrooke-based SoyXpert Inc in a federal news release today.
SoyXpert was founded in 2019 and uses traditional Japanese techniques to produce its certified organic, firm tofu, its website said. It received the $400,000 “repayable contribution” through Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED), the news release said.
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It recently built a new production facility and installed digital equipment, including a highly automated production line, which has allowed it to increase production and develop its flagship product ‘Soykei,’ the release added.
Quebec is home to multiple producers of the soy-based curd product, including Soyarie, Horium Foods Inc., and Unisoya.
Even so, local manufacturers haven’t always been able to meet demand in the province.
In early 2019, La Presse reported that Unisoya, unable to fill all customer orders, had voluntarily stopped selling to Costco. It was in the midst of expanding its facility.
At the time, Soyarie reported a 25 per cent or more increase in sales over the past few years, the La Presse report said.
The report attributed the increase in tofu demand to factors like the rising cost of meat, interest in reducing meat consumption for health and environmental reasons, and rising interest in vegetarianism.
In 2019, Quebec residents were more likely than other Canadians to eat tofu.
“In fact, 26 per cent of Quebecers will eat tofu on a regular basis versus 16 per cent in the rest of Canada,” said Sylvain Charlebois, professor of food distribution and policy and Dalhousie University, in a Jan. 31, 2019 report from CTV.
At the time, the province was experiencing a shortage of tofu.
—Geralyn Wichers is associate digital editor of AGCanada.com. She writes from southeastern Manitoba.
