Food Innovation

OUR BAFRINO RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTRE

Our commitment to innovation has never been stronger.

Adjacent to our North Star Kitchens in Morinville, Alberta, Canada, our BAFRINO Research and Innovation Centre is a world renowned food innovation hub focused upon advancing our Biologically Appropriate mission.

This $5.9 million investment solidifies our commitment to innovation, and advances our Biologically Appropriate, Fresh Regional Ingredient and Never Outsourced (BAFRINO) mandate in four core areas:

  • 1. Biologically Appropriate Food Development

    Aligned with our drive for continuous innovation, the BAFRINO Centre provides a dedicated facility for the development and advancement of our award-winning Biologically Appropriate dog and cat foods.
  • 2. Fresh Meat Technologies

    The BAFRINO Centre develops proprietary low temperature meat separation technologies which allow higher fresh meat inclusions in our foods, enhancing their feeding performance and bringing then ever closer to Mother Nature.
  • 3. Natural Flavor Development

    Equipped with state-of-the-art freeze dryers and hydrolyzing units, the BAFRINO Centre develops all-natural flavors from the same fresh meats, liver and tripe that go into ACANA foods, making sure that dogs and cats enjoy their foods as much as we do.
  • 4. Nutrient Testing and Validation

    Ensuring our foods meet the high expectations of pet lovers everywhere, the BAFRINO Centre performs on-site validation of all quality, nutritional and technical parameters of our ingredients, processes and foods.

If it’s not OK for our dogs and cats, then it’s not OK for other dogs and cats.

Our position on animal testing is simple – we conduct only those tests in which we would allow our own companion dogs and cats to participate. If it’s not ok for our dogs and cats, then it is not ok for any other cats and dogs. We perform palatability (taste), urine pH, digestibility (the latter through stool analysis only) and AAFCO feeding trials.