Nutri-Nation Functional Foods: Meeting Global Demands

Nutri-Nation Functional Foods is a family-owned business that has been operating since 1971 in British Columbia, Canada. Managed by the original founders and their descendants, the company maintains a strong family-oriented culture, with many employees having been with the company for decades. This long-standing commitment to employees and a family-first approach has been integral to Nutri-Nation’s growth and success.

Specializing in contract and private label manufacturing of functional food bars, Nutri-Nation focuses on nutritional science and modern engineering to create high-quality products for a diverse range of clients, from well-established brands to emerging companies. Nutri-Nation handles the manufacturing process while clients manage marketing, sales and packaging.

Their private label services allow clients to create custom nutrition bars that compete with national brand equivalents in taste and quality. Nutri-Nation produces a variety of bars, including diet, energy, protein and natural snacks designed to provide specific health benefits beyond basic nutrition.

Like many B.C. agriculture, food and beverage processing companies, sustainability is a key value at Nutri-Nation. Their facilities incorporate energy-efficient systems and environmentally conscious design, with a focus on waste reduction, packaging minimization and continuous improvement using Lean manufacturing principles. They use statistical quality management software to ensure tight specifications and maintain high standards.

New Facility: Optimizing Production and Sustainability

Nutri-Nation’s new facility in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia significantly enhances their production capacity and efficiency. The state-of-the-art design includes redundancies in the packaging lines to reduce bottlenecks and increase uptime. The facility also incorporates energy-saving technologies, such as heat recapture systems and optimized HVAC, which help reduce the environmental impact while maintaining top-tier production standards.

Strategic Government Support and TIBC Partnership

Nutri-Nation has received invaluable support from government agencies, including Trade and Invest BC (TIBC). The company was introduced to the TIBC team through the Trade Accelerator Program (TAP) offered by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. TAP is a Canada-wide program created to meet the changing needs of small and medium-sized businesses. TAP facilitates strategic growth and fosters international trade opportunities. TAP offers a range of skills, experience and individual mentoring and coaching across a broad spectrum of fields from legal, finance, global sales and marketing, taxation, logistics, etc.

The TIBC team has provided us with invaluable support in different areas that has facilitated our entry to different markets. Being able to access current market reports, market intelligence, label compliance and assistance by a BC Government member in other markets has given us the confidence to make some key decisions. – Liliana Fe, International Business Development Manager

Expanding Global Presence and Future Goals

Nutri-Nation is well-positioned for international growth. The company regularly participates in key trade shows such as Natural Products Expo West and the Food Tech Summit & Expo in Mexico City, strengthening relationships with existing clients and exploring new opportunities. With a focus on market diversification, Nutri-Nation plans to further strengthen its international presence, especially in Latin America and Europe, by participating in key trade shows and leveraging strategic partnerships.

The increased production capacity provided by their new facility will enable them to meet the growing demand for their products in international markets.

Meet Nutri-Nation at these events:

• March 4, 2025, to March 7, 2025, Natural Products Expo West booth #1090
• March 25, 2025, to March 27, 2025, ANTAD Guadalajara, Mx, Trade Mission with Canadian Pavilion booth #1050

Connect with TIBC if you are interested in investing, buying or expanding to British Columbia, Canada.