Dr. Steve Cui, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Food Research Program

Technology Transfer Award

For exemplary leadership in the development of inventive food extraction processes and the transfer of flaxseed dehulling technologies

Dr. Steve W. Cui
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Food Research Program

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A hallmark of exceptional leadership in the transfer and commercialization of technology is the ability to transform potential into practical reality. Since joining Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in 1993, Dr. Steve Cui has broken new ground in research fields affecting the lives and health of every Canadian, particularly in the study of food carbohydrates, rheology and the value-added processing of crops. But it is Dr. Cui's decade-long commitment to the development of technology to bring out the best in flax that exemplifies the kind of resourcefulness that sets the Guelph-based scientist apart.

One of the world's oldest fibre crops, flax is also one of nature's most versatile plants. Canada exports nearly a third of the world supply of flaxseed, used in products such as food, linen, cosmetics, paper, medicines, dye and soap. Gardeners covet its flower for the rarity of its truly blue colour while artists for centuries have used flaxseed oil as varnish or a drying finish on canvas.

What captured Dr. Cui's interest was the rich source of Omega-3 fatty acid, lignans and dietary fibre found in the plant's kernels and hulls — valued by nutritionists as strong agents that help to reduce blood cholesterol and in turn the risk of strokes, heart disease and certain kinds of cancer.

A problem with flax, however, was that its wider application in food products was limited by ineffective extraction methods as well as by the poor digestibility of the whole flaxseed and the instability of its meals and oils.

To counter the problem, Dr. Cui and Dr. Joe Mazza at the federal lab in Morden, Manitoba, developed bench type Flaxseed Dehulling Technology, a continuous process of mechanical abrasion that uses air classification to separate the hulls from the kernels without damaging the cells holding valuable oils was developed later. Combined with improved extraction processes, the technology opened new possibilities in expanded nutraceutical, animal feed and personal care product lines.

The true test of Dr. Cui's creativity and resolve was the series of hurdles he overcame to bring the technology to the commercial market.

Undeterred by the lack of pilot plant facilities to test his design on a manufacturing scale, he found a contractor in Saskatoon to do the work. When he learned there were no available funds to protect the intellectual property, he sought the support of industry to file Canadian and U.S. patents.

Determined to find the right commercialization partner, he actively promoted the environmentally friendly technology to the agri-food industry. After teaming up with Dr. Nam Fong Han of Natunola Health Inc. in 2000, he promptly returned to the international conference circuit to cultivate export markets.

Natunola was so impressed by Dr. Cui's expertise and technical assistance that the Ottawa-based company built the world's first manufacturing plant of dehulled flaxseed products, creating eight new jobs in Ontario. As a direct result of Dr. Cui's visionary leadership, Natunola has introduced several new products to the global food and nutraceutical market, increasing its sales by 200 percent. The company expects to add 20 new jobs and double its exports by 2010.