Experts estimate that $49.5B worth of food is lost or wasted in Canada annually. Recognizing the growing concern around food safety, UNB graduate, Natasha Dhayagude (BSc'14) and her co-founder David Brown, looked toward nature to find a solution when launching Chinova Bioworks.
The founders discovered an answer in a fiber extracted from white button mushrooms, which they named Chiber™. Their mushroom extract provides consumers and brands with a clean-label solution to food spoilage.
The technology helps to improve the quality, freshness and shelf-life of food and beverage products, reduce food waste and ensure an abundant food supply for future generations.
Extracted through an eco-friendly process, Chiber™ works well in various food and beverage categories such as dairy, plant-based dairy, sauces & spreads, plant-based meat alternatives and baked goods.
The product is effective against spoilage microorganisms like bacteria, yeast and mold and does not change the final product’s taste, smell or appearance.
The company is rapidly growing. Since its start, Chinova Bioworks has secured patents, received $10.5M in funding, scaled up operations and launched six product categories of Chiber™ into the food and beverage markets.
You don’t have to graduate with a Ph.D. to start a business at UNB. At any stage of your UNB education, numerous programs, incubators and accelerators are available to help you become a successful entrepreneur. Having fostered more than 125 startups, UNB has a strong record of support for aspiring businesspeople. All you need to provide is an innovative idea and the determination to make it work.
