The JUST BITE snack company sets up in Saint-Hyacinthe

Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole is pleased to announce that a new manufacturing business has set up shop on its territory. The JUST BITE snack company recently started its activities in the City of Agri-Food, Veterinary and Agri-Environmental Technology.

Founded in 2017, JUST BITE selected Saint-Hyacinthe’s technological park as its permanent site for producing snack boxes according to specific nutritional needs. The company already has 200 subscribers—from athletes seeking greater performance to busy professionals wanting a healthy snack on the go—to whom it sends an assortment of nutritious snacks each week.

The new company will occupy a nearly 1,300-square foot space in the Victor-Théodule-Daubigny pavilion, a business incubator owned by Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole. JUST BITE’s investment was used to purchase equipment and set up a production laboratory and production space for preparing some 2,000 snack boxes each week.

Karine Guilbault, Director of Industrial Development at Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole, said: “We are pleased to welcome this young food-processing business, which puts research and development at the heart of its business strategy. Beyond the originality of its products, its innovativeness is clear to see in its production processes, use of ingredients and proprietary packages.”

The company has launched a major research and development project aiming to increase the shelf life of its products without compromising their freshness or texture. This work is being carried out with the National Research Council Canada (NRCC) and Cintech agroalimentaire. JUST BITE is also working on water-soluble packaging with a low environmental footprint.

JUST BITE’s president, Mélanie Grenier, said: “Saint-Hyacinthe was a natural choice for us. Proximity to services to help with product and agri-food production process development was at the top of our list. Of course, the warm welcome we received from Saint-Hyacinthe Technopole and the pride in being part of an agri-food innovation area with such a great reputation also played a role in our decision.”

The company has already moved into its new Maskoutain facilities. All of its activities should be up and running within the next few weeks.