Saint-Hyacinthe Research and Development Centre

  • Processed Food
  • Cheeses
  • Vegetables and meat
  • Breads and pastries

 

The Saint-Hyacinthe Research and Development Centre (Saint-Hyacinthe RDC) located in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec was established in 1987. It is one of is one of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's (AAFC) network of 20 research and development centres. 

Areas of Research

The Saint-Hyacinthe RDC is the only AAFC research and development centre to focus exclusively on food processing research. Half of the centre is made up of pilot plants that manufacture processed foods in quasi-industrial conditions, enabling researchers and Canadian businesses to collaborate and research ways to improve manufacturing in the main industry sectors (meat products; dairy products; grains, oilseeds and pulses; processed fruits and vegetables).

Its spectrum of activities covers dairy and grain products, meats, fruits and vegetables. The Saint-Hyacinthe RDC uses pilot plants to scale up processes and sensory analysis facilities to determine the impact of innovations on food taste and texture.

Search Research projects from the Saint-Hyacinthe Research and Development Centre to learn more about what we do.

Sector Needs

The Saint-Hyacinthe RDC carries out innovative research, development, technology and knowledge transfer activities in support of the AAFC's Strategic Plan for Science, which includes:

Improving attributes for food and non-food uses

Innovation in processes, production of food ingredients and food processing procedures:

This first area of research aims to improve the reaction times of food processors to respond effectively and quickly to market changes. Diversification and segmentation of food demand, coupled with the compressed life cycle of new products, put increasing pressure on businesses’ capacity to innovate. Research, development and transfer activities related to specialized ingredients, processing methods and food formulations are vital to helping businesses to react quickly and take advantage of new market trends. The impact of technological platforms on food attributes is monitored, as is the functionality of some components. The Saint-Hyacinthe RDC has developed a culture that promotes collaboration among businesses. Participation in science clusters, Agri-Innovation programs, and the presence of the Industrial Program at the Saint-Hyacinthe RDC foster sharing with businesses, enabling researchers to identify new trends and propose relevant research projects.

Increasing agricultural productivity

Characterizing the technological and nutritional properties of ingredients and foods developed through new technologies and new value-added food production processes:

Food processing plays a leading role in the enhancement of agricultural products. To ensure that the Canadian agri-food sector remains sustainable and competitive, our agricultural resources are used to develop foods with attributes that correspond to market needs. In cooperation with the production sector, Saint-Hyacinthe RDC researchers help to improve the processability of Canadian agricultural products. In addition, the Centre’s research activities aim to get the most from all of our resources by maximizing the use of processed food by-products.

Meet our Scientists

Find out more about the scientists at Saint-Hyacinthe Research and Development Centre through their profiles below.

You can also visit the Fields of Science campaign featuring 11 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists from coast to coast. Discover why they chose to pursue a career in agriculture and learn more about their research.

3600 Casavant Boulevard West
Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 8E3
Canada
(450) 768-7999

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Careers

Scientists and researchers

Image Alain Clément
Research scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Carole Brodeur
Commercialization Officer
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Louise Deschênes
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Rani Ramachandran
Research Scientist- Automation and Robotics -Food Technologies
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Scientist in Food Process Engineering
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Research Scientist (Meat and Consumer Sciences)
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Fadi Ali
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Isabelle Germain
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Julie Brassard
Research scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Lamia L'Hocine
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Louis Sasseville
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Marie-Claude Gentès
Research scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Marie-Josée Gagné
Research Assistante in Food Virology
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Martin Mondor
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Michel Britten
Scientist, Dairy chemistry and technology
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image nancy gardner
Director, Office of Intellectual Property and Commercialization
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Nancy Graveline
Sensory Evaluation Services Manager
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Research assistant
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Patrick Denoncourt
Technologist - Pilot Plant - Biotechnology
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Pierre Gélinas
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Pierre Ward
Research professional
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Sabine Ribéreau
Pilot Plant Manager
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Image Tony Savard
Research Scientist
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

Publications

  1. A newly designed ohmic heating cell for establishing microorganism destruction kinetics

    2023 - View publication details

  2. Nutritional and health promoting bioactive properties of Canadian faba bean in comparison to pea and soy.

    2023 - View publication details

  3. Assessing impacts of physical processing methods on pea and lentil allergenic proteins

    2023 - View publication details

  4. N/A

    2022 - View publication details

  5. N/A
    Online AAFC tool. Link to the toolbox can be found in the online resources section of the AAFC Library.

    2022 - View publication details

  6. Gentès, M.-C., Caron, A., Champagne, C.P. (2022). Potential applications of pulsed electric field in cheesemaking. International Journal of Dairy Technology, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1471-0307.12854

    2022 - View publication details

  7. Industrial collaborative framework (CRADA)

    2021 - View publication details

  8. Haddad, S., Elliot, M., Savard, T., Deschênes, L., Smith, T., Ells, T. (2021). Variations in biofilms harbouring Listeria monocytogenes in dual and triplex cultures with Pseudomonas fluorescens and Lactobacillus plantarum produced under a model system of simulated meat processing conditions, and their resistance to benzalkonium chloride. Food Control, [online] 123 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2020.107720

    2021 - View publication details

  9. Nantel-Fortier, N., Gauthier, M., L'Homme, Y., Fravalo, P., Brassard, J. (2021). Treatments of porcine fecal samples affect high-throughput virome sequencing results. Journal of Virological Methods, [online] 289 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jviromet.2020.114045

    2021 - View publication details

  10. Huang, J., Liu, Z., Rui, X., L'Hocine, L., Zhang, Q., Li, W., Dong, M. (2020). Assessment of the effect of lactic acid fermentation on the gastroduodenal digestibility and immunoglobulin e binding capacity of soy proteins: Via an in vitro dynamic gastrointestinal digestion model. Food and Function, [online] 11(12), 10467-10479. http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d0fo02023k

    2020 - View publication details