Cool new things are brewing in the Food Science Club.
THE GUELPH FOOD INNOVATION CENTER (GFIC) has partnered up with the University of Guelph’s Food Science Club and the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming (GCUOF) to make the first GCUOF-sourced food product sold on campus, hot sauce called Cannon Fire.
Cannon Fire is still in the works but, Allison Gordon, a second-year food science student says, “as of December, students will be able to purchase their very own Cannon Fire.”
The project manager, Leah Brodovsky, got the idea during her co-op position as a Product Development Associate at GFIC. The thought was to take what she had learned and incorporate it into a fun project for the club.
The Food Science Club on campus is a club for students in all years majoring in food science to come and share their love for food. Cannon Fire is completely student driven.
Gordon is currently volunteering her time helping the GFIC hot sauce project. “So far, it’s been a great experience where I can gain experience in product development, marketing and manufacturing while having fun with food,” says Gordon.
“This makes me wish I liked hot sauce.”
— Alyssa Tweedle, a third-year equine management student.
They prepared three recipes: a hot, mild, and a mix of the two. “We decided on the mixed blend between mild and hot because it tasted the best and we figured it would sell better,” says Gordon.
The project began in September with the members of the club deciding on a recipe. Since the club got the GCUOF on board with this project, all produce used in this recipe has come from the farm.
The main ingredients used for the recipe are cayenne, jalapeño, and habanero, along with some garlic, vinegar, salt, and sugar.
Once a batch is cooled, the pH is tested to ensure that is below 4.6. “For all canned foods, they need to have a pH low enough or else bacteria will start to grow and produce botulism toxins,” says Gordon. She adds that she learned in her classes that botulism toxins can be deadly and lead to paralysis.
After asking a few fellow students about their thoughts on the project, the responses showed much anticipation. “This makes me wish I liked hot sauce,” says Alyssa Tweedle, a third-year equine management student.
“I think that this is a great initiative, however I don’t like spicy foods,” says Derrick Knill, a third-year animal science student.
On Nov. 7, Cannon Fire will be mass produced at the pilot plant in the Food Science building. The sauce will be packaged and sealed in five-ounce jars. When purchasing this hot sauce, customers are both supporting the Food Science Club and locally grown and organic products. All proceeds will go to GCUOF.