Crush Dynamics

A British Columbia company has patented a technology to upcycle grape pomace – the skins and seeds left over from winemaking – into an extremely functional ingredient that can help reduce the amount of sugar, salt and preservatives used in food and beverage production.

It’s estimated that wineries dispose of about one litre of edible grape waste for every two litres of wine produced, or about one third of each wine grape. Currently, this waste mostly goes into landfill, contributing to carbon dioxide emissions, and costing wineries money in disposal costs.

At the same time, food and beverage manufacturers are looking to reinvent their product to reduce sodium and sugar, to extend shelf life, and to use fewer ingredients.

Crush Dynamics Inc., established in B.C.’s wine country in 2016, is using targeted fermentation to transform naturally occurring polyphenol compounds (which act as health-boosting antioxidants) found in grapes, into an ingredient that has many functional properties for the food and beverage world.

The company’s first products were Ruby Purée, compatible with formulations such as sauces, chocolate, and red meat alternatives, and Gold Purée, targeted at plantbased dairy and chicken alternatives, lighter sauces, sports nutrition, and breads.

Currently, Crush Dynamics works with world renowned wineries in British Columbia – it’s estimated that the Okanagan Valley alone generates approximately 12,000 tonnes of grape pomace annually – but the long-term goal is to scale up the process to other wine regions around the world.

The company has received considerable business development and management support from Bioenterprise Canada, a food and agri-tech commercialization accelerator that helps businesses bring promising new technologies to market.