It was an announcement made with limited fanfare, even in the ag sector it seemed, yet it could open the door to an intriguing new niche market.
In January a release by the Canary Seed Development Commission of Saskatchewan (CDCS) at www.canaryseed.ca related that canary seed, which has generally been grown just for the bird seed market has received novel food approval from Health Canada as well as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“With the achievement of this milestone, we’re hopeful that the food industry and consumers will begin to adopt this nutritious, high protein, gluten-free grain,” said David Nobbs, chair of the Canary Seed Development Commission of Saskatchewan, in the prepared release. “Up until now, production potential has been limited by the size of the market for birdseed.”
It should be noted that while the market was limited there is a still a reasonably significant demand for birdseed among bird pet owners, and those buying seed mixes to feed wild birds in winter.
The ability to begin having canary seed in human foods certainly does expand the market scope for what is, and will remain, a limited acre specialty crop.
The additional market though should help provide better returns over the long term based on increased market options.
It was noted in the CDCS that producer levies paid to the commission over the past decade, supplemented by various government programs, have made food approval possible. Extensive compositional, nutritional and toxicological work was required.
“Canary seed is the first novel cereal crop to be approved in Canada,” noted Dr. Carol Ann Patterson of The Pathfinders Research and Management in the release. Patterson is the food scientist who piloted all the work necessary for food approval. “Projects are continuing to determine the best food applications.”
Canary seed flour can be used to make bread, cookies, cereals and pastas. Whole seeds can be used in nutrition bars and sprinkled on hamburger buns in place of sesame seed.
The approval covers glabrous (hairless) canary seed varieties, with both brown and yellow-coloured seeds. Of course like most things that run through a government process, more work remains.
The glabrous varieties currently grown by farmers are brown when the hull is removed.
Dr. Pierre Hucl, the canary seed breeder at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre, will be seeking approval for a yellow line at the variety registration meetings in February. Nutritionally, brown and yellow are very similar, but the yellow seeds are more aesthetically pleasing in many food products, states the CDCS release.
When it comes to generating initial consumer interest and long term acceptance, aesthetics will most certainly play a role.
Take for example carrots, the consumer wants long, straight ones – deeming ones that grow less than straight as inferior – jumping to the assumed conclusion there is something wrong with a twisted carrot.
And the exact niche that canary seed might fill for human consumers is also still being defined.
While canary seed is gluten free, those individuals with a food allergy to wheat may also be allergic to a protein in canary seed. Canary seed and canary seed products for human consumption will have to be labelled with a statement such as, “This product contains canary seed which may not be suitable for people with a wheat allergy,” noted the release.
“We hope that further work will lead to the removal of this labelling requirement at some future date,” said Patterson. “On food products where wheat is a labelled ingredient, the cautionary statement will not be necessary.”
The development of a significant new market will take time, likely years, but it is an innovative effort which will grow the markets for Canadian Prairie farm production.
Saskatchewan is the world’s top exporter of canary seed. Nearly 2,500 Saskatchewan farmers have marketed canary seed within the last three crop years. In 2015, an estimated 149,000 tonnes of canary seed with a farm gate value of roughly $90 million was harvested from over 300,000 acres.
